Ask a new question

What reasons make different Line spacing between "exact" and "atleast"?

Hi.

I just wondering line spacing rules.

I asked,

when I use “atLeast” in <w:spacing w:after="0" w:line="300" w:lineRule="atLeast"/>
the paragraph borders, the box around the paragraph, is higher than when “exact”.

MS said,

" The difference can be even a little better seen if space=”0” is used in the top and bottom elements in pBdr. 

The Word 2013 behavior is in compliance with ISO standard, 17.3.1.33 says “atLeast (Minimum Line Height) Specifies that the height of the line shall be at least the value specified, but might be expanded to fit its content as needed.” "

I want to know what algorithm make different between them.

Please, let me know.

Have a great day.

"Exactly" line spacing is always the defined number of points. "At least" line spacing starts with the defined number of points but can increase if the font size demands it. That is, if the "Single" line spacing would be greater than what is defined by "At least," then the line spacing will be greater.

 

So, for example, if you define line spacing of "Exactly 12 points" and use 10-pt Times New Roman, you will get 12-point line spacing. This will stay the same if you change the font size to 12 points. But if you use line spacing of "At least 12 points," it will be 12 points for 10-pt TNR, but if you use 12-pt TNR, it will increase to approximately 14.4 points because the built-in "leading" for that font is approximately 20% greater than the nominal point size.

Microsoft MVP (Word) since 1999
Fairhope, Alabama USA
http://ssbarnhill.com
http://wordfaqs.ssbarnhill.com
Screen shots captured with TechSmith's Snagit

5 people found this reply helpful

·

Was this reply helpful?

Sorry this didn't help.

Great! Thanks for your feedback.

How satisfied are you with this reply?

Thanks for your feedback, it helps us improve the site.

How satisfied are you with this reply?

Thanks for your feedback.

Hi, Suzanne.

Thank you for the answer.
I have some more questions.

1. How can I calculate approximately 20%?
   - I made some samples about what your example said. But I figure out that line spaceing(TNR 12points) isn't 14.4 points. I understand you said it is approximately 20%, but I need to know how it is calculated.
When I calculate a single line spacing,
=>  a single line spacing (font height) = font ascender + font descender + something(I don't know)
I really want to know what the something is and, how the something is made by MS word.

Thanks, toypilot.

Was this reply helpful?

Sorry this didn't help.

Great! Thanks for your feedback.

How satisfied are you with this reply?

Thanks for your feedback, it helps us improve the site.

How satisfied are you with this reply?

Thanks for your feedback.

Word uses the line spacing built into the font. If you test a few different fonts, you'll notice the difference. I don't think you can predict how various fonts differ in this respect.

The only way to get control over the spacing is specifying a fixed value, as Suzanne already mentioned.
Stefan Blom
MS 365 Word MVP since 2005
Volunteer Moderator
MS 365, Win 11 Pro
~~~
Note that I do not work for Microsoft
https://mvp.microsoft.com/
~~~
Please specify Word version & OS in your question

Was this reply helpful?

Sorry this didn't help.

Great! Thanks for your feedback.

How satisfied are you with this reply?

Thanks for your feedback, it helps us improve the site.

How satisfied are you with this reply?

Thanks for your feedback.

yes, you are right. 
When I use Times New Roman, her mention is correct.
But other fonts, like Gothic, 
" Font size * 20%" this doesn't  work at all.
I want to know a general formula, which can be correct every font in MS Word.


Was this reply helpful?

Sorry this didn't help.

Great! Thanks for your feedback.

How satisfied are you with this reply?

Thanks for your feedback, it helps us improve the site.

How satisfied are you with this reply?

Thanks for your feedback.

There is no general formula because every font is designed differently. Some have much more leading than others. For example, here is a screen shot of Bickham Script Pro--almost unusable because of the leading, but it accommodates "swash" variants: 

 Note that the sample above is at 24 points; 12 points is barely readable.

Microsoft MVP (Word) since 1999
Fairhope, Alabama USA
http://ssbarnhill.com
http://wordfaqs.ssbarnhill.com
Screen shots captured with TechSmith's Snagit

1 person found this reply helpful

·

Was this reply helpful?

Sorry this didn't help.

Great! Thanks for your feedback.

How satisfied are you with this reply?

Thanks for your feedback, it helps us improve the site.

How satisfied are you with this reply?

Thanks for your feedback.

Thank you for your answer. 

I got your point. I understand there is no formula. But when MS Word shows a single line spacing on the screen, MSWord  should have logic. The logic is MS Word gets information(ascent, descent, etc..) from each font data and combine the data to make a single line spacing.

I really want to know what information MSWord use from font data and how MS Word makes up single line spacing.

Was this reply helpful?

Sorry this didn't help.

Great! Thanks for your feedback.

How satisfied are you with this reply?

Thanks for your feedback, it helps us improve the site.

How satisfied are you with this reply?

Thanks for your feedback.

 
 

Question Info

Last updated January 4, 2024 Views 2,834 Applies to: