character spacing

Joined: 23 Feb 2009 Posts: 3

Hello All,

I just finished learning the portion of the program about character spacing, kerning, line spacing, etc., and am working on the assignment to go with the lesson. The lesson discusses all about those things, but doesn't exactly tell one how to make those changes manually and/or use the software in Word or Publisher. I've tried, and it doesn't come out right every time I've tried it. Please advise.

Warmly,

lisadee

Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2009 4:11 pm

Hi, lisadee,

Each layout program handles these settings differently, so it's not practical to give instructions for them all in the course materials. They'd have to talk about at least two and probably three or four programs to do so, or more if you count versions and platforms.

I can try to help you, but it'll be easier if you'll tell me which layout program you use. I use InDesign, but I'm also conversant in Publisher. Although Word isn't usually thought of as a layout program like the other two, I've used its advanced features for over 20 years now -- back before Windows! I do have Quark, but I don't use it very much, preferring InDesign. So, if you're ready, just let me know your preference -- since you specifically mentioned Publisher and Word, are those the two you're using? Which version(s), 2003 or 2007 or something earlier? PC or Mac platform? I just got Office 2007, but am waiting to install it until after a current client project is finished, so I'm less able to help for Office 2007 versions. But I'll be happy to get you started!

Joined: 23 Feb 2009 Posts: 3

Hi Nancy,

Thanks for responding. I would appreciate any help. I have Microsoft Office Enterprise 2007. Eventually, I will look into the different design and layout programs available, but for the purpose of learning through this class, I am simply using what I already have. I imagine I will have to relearn some aspects depending on the program I end up choosing to purchase for my design needs. One step at a time though, right now, I have the above mentioned software. *smile*

Thanks again.

lisadee

Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2009 3:51 pm

Hi, lisadee,

Okay, then, let's concentrate on Word and Publisher. As I mentioned, I'm still 2 weeks or so away from installing version 2007, so my comments here refer to version 2003. I imagine there is very little difference in the dialog boxes between the 2 versions, but I could be wrong. I'm also not sure of your level of expertise, so sorry if you already know much of what I'll say below.

The dialog boxes that control the text are really quite similar between Word and Publisher, so that should make things easier.

One thing I should mention at the beginning is that you can use the settings on specific selected text, or you can use them on a declared "style." I'd recommend using styles, for consistency. Make sure they're in view (View/Task Pane). If "Styles and Formatting" isn't the view in the pane, click the down arrow at the top of the pane to see the menu and click the Styles and Formatting" name, about 4 items up from the bottom. Now you're set to select a paragraph in your document and apply a style to it. Or you can select a paragraph that already has a style applied, and in the Task Pane, the top will tell you which style is applied. Passing your mouse cursor over the style name changes the way it looks in the list in the pane -- there's a down arrow beside the name, which is a drop-down menu. Click Modify on the drop-down menu to open the Modify Style dialog box, and then you're set to make changes that affect all instances where that style is used.

The most common dialog boxes -- or tabs in a dialog box -- that control the settings you're looking to change (for character spacing, kerning, line spacing, etc.) are the Font and the Paragraph dialog boxes.

Let's assume you've selected some text and want to modify its style. Let's modify the font settings first.

1. In Word, the Modify Style dialog box has a lower left button named "Format." Click it to see a popup menu. Let's choose "Font" first, to bring up the Font dialog. It's the same dialog you'd get if you selected unformatted text and used the Format/Font menu at the top of the main window. Click the Character Spacing tab to see settings for scale, spacing, position, and kerning. Spacing and kerning are two you'd most likely modify. You'd choose condense spacing, and check the kerning check box, and set the point value you'd like to use.

2. In Publisher, you get to the Modify Style dialog box in the same way. That dialog has buttons in the upper right instead of a popup menu. Click the button named "Character Spacing" to open a dialog box that controls scaling, tracking, and kerning. Tracking is all text characters, not just kerning pairs. It might be helpful to you to click the "Show Toolbar" button to open a small palette-like box for a variety of similar settings that can be set here. (Hover your mouse over the setting to see what it's for -- such as horizontal spacing, rotation, etc.)

Then there's the paragaraph settings.

3. In Word, follow #1 above except click the lower left button for "Paragraph" to open the Paragraph dialog box, and click the "Indents and Spacing" tab. The use of the term "spacing" here is not to be confused with character spacing. It is actually a reference to the amount of vertical space between paragraphs, controlled either by amounts above or below the selected paragraph, or both. It's expressed in points, but you can type something like "0.5 in" for half-an-inch instead, and Word "translates" that measurement into points.

Line spacing, or more correctly, leading, is also available. The drop-down box is very handy. Beside setting single-space, 1.5 space, double-space, and setting "multiple" to triple or quad spacing, there's lots of use for the "exactly" setting. Click the "exactly" menu item to see the default leading setting. For example, the default leading for 10-pt type is generally 12 points. You can adjust the amount here, and I do it all the time. I find it's especially handy if I want to create a style that's a half-line in height. I can make a style that's only 6 pts. high, and use it (with discretion and consistency) as a blank line between paragraphs (instead of a full carriage return) when I really can't make text fit vertically any other way.

4. Publisher also has a Paragraph dialog (see #2 above) with an "Indents and Spacing" tab. Like Word, you can control extra vertical space above and below the paragraph style. The "Between Lines" setting most closely corresponds to leading. You can use points (pts) or spaces (sp) as the unit of measurement. There is also a check box for aligning the text to baseline guides, assuming you've set them up (From the top menu, click Arrange/Layout Guides to open the Layout Guides dialog and click the Baseline Guides tab).

Lastly, don't forget to look at hyphenation in these programs. In Word, you can simply turn it off from the Paragraph dialog/Line and Page Breaks tab if you don't want it -- especially in your headlines. Or to control hyphenation more completely, in either program, go to the Tools/Language/Hyphenation menu item to open the Hyphenation dialog box. The dialog boxes are almost identical in the two programs. The Help file has more information about this.

I hope this has enough detail to help you, and I hope your 2007 version of the software is close enough to the 2003 version that I didn't confuse you. Good luck!