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A
Arnoud5C19
Participant
August 25, 2022
Answered

Indesign pushes last line of paragraph to the next page

  • August 25, 2022
  • 5 replies
  • 3305 views

I have a book with text pages. The last line of one paragraph is being pushed to the next page, whatever I do (hard return just before, switch off all 'keep options'.

How?

See screenshot.

Thanks!

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer Mike Witherell

More advice:

Never use a style from Word named Normal.

Never use a paragraph style based on Normal nor Basic Paragraph Style. Make your BodyCopy style based on No Paragraph Style.

Try not to allow your paragraph style have manual overrides (the tiny + sign) on it. If you have bolds and italics, make sure those are made with character styles.

Subheadings should be their own paragraph style with Space Before and Space After defined, not extra returns.

5 replies

Mike Witherell
Community Expert
Mike WitherellCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
August 25, 2022

More advice:

Never use a style from Word named Normal.

Never use a paragraph style based on Normal nor Basic Paragraph Style. Make your BodyCopy style based on No Paragraph Style.

Try not to allow your paragraph style have manual overrides (the tiny + sign) on it. If you have bolds and italics, make sure those are made with character styles.

Subheadings should be their own paragraph style with Space Before and Space After defined, not extra returns.

Mike Witherell
    A
    Arnoud5C19Author
    Participant
    August 25, 2022

    The extra returns caused it! 
    I put them in to create space for an inserted image. Other solution for that now.
    Thanks for all your suggestions!

    James Gifford—NitroPress
    James Gifford—NitroPress
    Legend
    August 25, 2022

    I'd bet that the extra returns that were formatted for "keep with next/previous" did it. Paragraphs without "keep with" specified have nothing keeping them from breaking across pages.

     

    —

    Mike Witherell
    Community Expert
    Mike WitherellCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    August 25, 2022

    Could page 11 secretly have an empty no stroke/ no fill frame/box/object  in the lower part of that page? Maybe it is an object on the master page. If there is an invisible frame object, maybe that object has Text Wrap turned on?

    Mike Witherell
    A
    Arnoud5C19Author
    Participant
    August 25, 2022

    My thought, but no.

     

    Solved it like this for now: shortened the text frame, created another text frame underneath and let the text flow on.

    Mike Witherell
    Community Expert
    Mike WitherellCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    August 25, 2022

    No! 😧

    Mike Witherell
    Mike Witherell
    Community Expert
    Mike WitherellCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    August 25, 2022

    If, after setting up your paragraph style correctly, it still does it, then export to IDML and then open the IDML file, and then SaveAs to an INDD document. This will have a tendency to wash out some possible corruptions.

    Mike Witherell
    A
    Arnoud5C19Author
    Participant
    August 25, 2022

    Did not solve it unfortunately.

    James Gifford—NitroPress
    James Gifford—NitroPress
    Legend
    August 25, 2022

    Do you have Keep With Next set in the Keep Options menu? Uncheck that. As Mike notes, there are many options to control text flow in this panel and your solution (and eventual satisfaction with the text breaks) probably lies there.

     

    —

      Brad @ Roaring Mouse
      Community Expert
      Brad @ Roaring MouseCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      August 25, 2022

      Your screen grab shows Keep With Next set at 1.

      This will definitely cause your issue if all those extra returns also have the same setting; it's trying to keep them all together and consequently pulling your single line from the previous page.

      Instead, Set it to 0

      (This is NOT controlled by the checkbox immediately above (Keep With Previous); these are two separate settings).

       

      But yes, as advised, you should not be using paragraph returns for spacing; causes no end of issues. The more you use Paragraphs Styles, with all the spacing and tab options available, the more it will make sense to you, and you will soon never go back to what I call "typewriter spacing".

        Mike Witherell
        Community Expert
        Mike WitherellCommunity Expert
        Community Expert
        August 25, 2022

        Be sure to make a paragraph style to control the paragraphs of text. Name it BodyCopy. Within paragraph style options, go to Keep Options and set it to either keep all lines together or, better, keep lines 2 and 2. This will prevent widowed and orphaned single lines that are alone and away from the rest of the lines in the paragraph.

         

        Stop using multiple hard returns to space paragraphs. Instead, within the paragraph style options, define a Space After amount.

         

        Stop using the Tab key to indent your first line. Instead, within the paragraph style options, use a First Line Indent amount.

         

        InDesign is all about paragraph styles! Learn to let go of your habits of using a typewriter. 

        Mike Witherell
          A
          Arnoud5C19Author
          Participant
          August 25, 2022

          Thanks Mike!
          I did all that. Still this funny behaviour. leaving a big gap at the end of the column. See screenshot.

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