Be able to apply spacing including paragraph (before and after) and line spacing.
What is a Style?
A style is a set of formatting instructions that can be applied to text, paragraphs, tables or other objects in a document. Using styles ensures consistency and makes it easy to change the appearance of the whole document by editing a single definition.
Creating and Modifying Styles
Open the Styles pane (usually found on the Home tab).
Choose New Style or right‑click an existing style and select Modify.
Give the style a meaningful name (e.g., Body Text, Heading 1).
Set the desired font, size, colour, alignment, and spacing options.
Click OK to save the style.
Applying Styles
Select the text or paragraph you wish to format and click the required style name in the Styles pane. The selected formatting will be applied instantly.
Paragraph Spacing
Paragraph spacing controls the amount of space that appears before and after a paragraph. This is different from line spacing, which affects the space between lines within the same paragraph.
Space Before: Adds vertical space above the paragraph.
Space After: Adds vertical space below the paragraph.
Line Spacing
Line spacing determines the distance between successive lines of text within a paragraph.
Single (1.0) – default spacing.
1.5 lines – useful for readability.
Double (2.0) – often required for essays and reports.
Exactly – a fixed measurement (e.g., 12 pt).
Multiple – a factor of the single‑line height (e.g., 1.2).
Spacing Options Summary
Option
Location in Dialog
Typical Use
Space Before
Paragraph tab → Spacing
Separate headings from preceding text
Space After
Paragraph tab → Spacing
Separate paragraphs in body text
Line Spacing – Single
Paragraph tab → Indents & Spacing
Compact documents, footnotes
Line Spacing – 1.5
Paragraph tab → Indents & Spacing
General reports, increased readability
Line Spacing – Double
Paragraph tab → Indents & Spacing
Essays, assignments requiring double spacing
Practical Example
Below is a step‑by‑step guide to create a style called Report Body with specific spacing.
Open the Styles pane and click New Style.
Name the style Report Body.
Set the font to Times New Roman, 12 pt.
In the Paragraph tab, set:
Space Before: 6 pt
Space After: 6 pt
Line Spacing: 1.5 lines
Click OK. Now any paragraph you select and apply Report Body to will automatically have the defined spacing.
Suggested diagram: Layout of the Styles pane showing where to create and modify a style.
Key Points to Remember
Use styles to maintain consistent formatting throughout a document.
Paragraph spacing (before/after) separates blocks of text; line spacing affects lines within a block.
Changing a style updates all text that uses that style instantly.
Always check the document’s requirements (e.g., double spacing for essays) before setting line spacing.
Self‑Check Questions
What is the difference between Space Before and Line Spacing?
How would you modify an existing style to add 8 pt space after each paragraph?
Which line spacing option would you choose for a formal essay and why?
Explain how using styles can save time when formatting a long document.