12 pt spacing before and after paragraphs by default?

[Paul]

I have tried to set up a permandent 12 pt space before and after paragraphs
in Word 2003, but even after making this selection, hitting OK, and even
saving it to a template, Word always seems to go back to the 0 point space.
I would like Word to always give me a space between paragraphs, with a hard
return. Is there a way to get this to happen with every document, from a
template (or just with Word's Options)?

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Are you modifying the Normal style? Are you checking the box for "Add to
template"? FWIW, I wouldn't modify Normal this way because of the effect it
will have on all other styles based on Normal (not to mention other uses of
Normal, such as in labels). I would instead modify Body Text and apply that
style to the empty paragraph in Normal.dot.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
http://word.mvps.org

 

[Paul]

OK I did that--I saved it to the normal.dot template. To get the paragraphs
to be spaced like this, I have to select all my text, and then hit the
STyles and formatting icon, then click on Body Text. Then and only then,
does it come out like this. One reason I want to do this is that I like to
actually type this way, instead of do all my typing and only at the end,
change its appearance (to be 12 point spaced before and after).

My question: is there any way I can make this Body Text style be the default
style, so that I get this spacing every time I hit the enter key? Or is
modifying the normal style the only way to get this?

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

If you select the default empty paragraph in Normal.dot and format it as
Body Text, then you will start in that style and, assuming you don't change
to another style, you will continue in that style. Note that Normal is the
"Style for following paragraph" of the built-in heading styles, so you'd
need to change that to Body Text.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
http://word.mvps.org

 

[Paul]

OK if I'd need to make this change every time I used a new style (I use
header 1, 2, 3 a lot) I think I'll just make the changes to normal. I don't
really use styles for anything other than these headers, and I never do
mailing labels. But I will keep your caveat in mind, in the event I see
things I don't like. Thanks.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

You don't need to make the change every time you use a different style.
There are two ways that Word works:

1. Most styles have the same style named as the following style, so if you
start with that style (Normal, say, or Body Text), then every time you press
Enter, you get a paragraph in the same style.

2. A few styles have a different style designated as the "Style for
following paragraph." AFAIK, the built-in heading styles are the only ones
that have this behavior by default, and they do have Normal designated, but
you can modify the style (not just the paragraphs but the heading styles
themselves) to make Body Text the following style (I have done this in the
templates I use). Then when you press Enter at the end of a heading, you'll
get Body Text instead of Normal. Naturally, you would save this change to
Normal.dot to make it the default.

This leaves Normal untouched and gives you Body Text as your basic paragraph
style.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
http://word.mvps.org

 

[Paul]

ok thanks.

 

[Paul]

Great. I have it all set up now--body text is 12 pt in front and after; all
three headings are set to have body text follow them... Normal style is,
well, normal...

OK Thanks Suzanne, it took a while...I've been very slow to use styles in
Word and you can tell that its only real basic stuff that I do with them but
this will make it very smooth for me.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Glad you got there in the end! Styles really are the most powerful feature
of Word, I think, and until you get comfortable with them, you can never
really exploit many of Word's other great features.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
http://word.mvps.org