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gavcraw
gavcraw
Participant
January 29, 2019
Question

Paragraph style with zero leading

  • January 29, 2019
  • 2 replies
  • 778 views

I've created a paragraph style with a zero line leading, which works as expected if used further down a frame, but if it's used at the top of a frame the zero leading value is ignored. Is there any way to get around this problem?

What I'm trying to acheive is a paragraph style that can be applied to a blank line, which will hide that line's height. In some respects the line is 'redundant' and can in thoery be removed, but I don't want to remove it as I want to keep the blank line if the text is exported out as plain text.

I'd be very grateful for any help or pointers as I'm an InDesign newby, trying to migrate a particular workflow from different DTP software.

Gavin

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2 replies

rob day
Community Expert
rob dayCommunity Expert
Community Expert
January 29, 2019

The first baseline can be spec’d in Text Frame Options. The frame at the right has the Offset set to Leading, while the frame on the left has it set to Ascent

I agree with Barb, you'll likely run into problems trying to create white space with returns and tabs. Space between paragraphs should be set in the Paragraph or Paragraph Styles panel via Space Before and After.

    Barb Binder
    Community Expert
    Barb BinderCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    January 29, 2019

    Hi Gavin:

    I don't think this is the right approach for the job. In professional publishing jobs, we typically remove all double ¶s and handle spacing via spacing commands.

    That said, my top image shows empty ¶, second image shows size=0.1, leading=0, all spacing values=0.

    ~Barb

    ~Barb at Rocky Mountain Training
      gavcraw
      gavcrawAuthor
      Participant
      January 30, 2019

      Hi Barb and Rob, and thank you for your swift replies.

      As Barb has suggested setting the size to 0.1pt helped remove some of the space, although not quite fully as it still leaves a small space at the top of the frame. Rob's suggestion of using the first baseline offset in the Text frame  options also offers a possible solution. I will have to have a play around with the layout to see what works best.

      Thank you both.

      I'd agree that in usual circumstances avoidng double ¶s, and using a space after value is the correct approach. In this instance the data is a hand knitting pattern that has many paragraph returns throughout the sections that represent the same paragraph, and then a blank line to give some space. It could be said that the paragraphs returns should be replaced with a forced line breaks, leaving the paragraph break at the end to force the space after, but this again would break the formatting if the text is exported back out as plain text.

      Each 'pattern' is a plain text file that is dropped into pre-designed document template that flows across the different pages in a multi column layout. Then styles are applied to create titles, headings, sub headings, and other text styling, but at the heart of it all is the fact that the raw text can be exported back out to be re-edited in a text editor and the general formatting has not been altered.

      Gavin

        rob day
        Community Expert
        rob dayCommunity Expert
        Community Expert
        January 30, 2019

        but this again would break the formatting if the text is exported back out as plain text.

        How are you exporting the text? The usual way to do what you are describing is with InCopy or a plugin like WordsFlow

        http://emsoftware.com/products/wordsflow/

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