How to do paragraph space

[ali_4619]

Hi please how to do I do a simple paragraph space in an InDesign document? In Word, you press the enter button but this does not make a space in the InDesign template I am working in when I press enter. I have tried changing the space before and after values in the paragraph settings. But even then when I type enter after a paragraph, the cursor just disappears altogether and anything I type doesn't show up on the page. 

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS · Accepted solution]

I strongly suggest you use paragraph styles. Make sure you are not used the numeric keypad Enter key.

Simply apply [paragraph] spacing as shown below:

I always use space above for my body text so I can "collapse up" the lines for bullet/number lists.

[ali_4619]

Wonderful! Thank you so much. I was using the numeric keypad! I will use your space above tip too. Thank you very much.

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

The numeric enter key is a column break, so your text was trying to jump to another column. If there isn't another column to jump to, it goes into the overset netherworld (you will notice a little red square in the lower right of the corner of the text box; more obvious with the Selection too). The text is never lost, you just can't see it.

[Willi Adelberger]

Are you aware that enter and return key have not the same function in InDesign?

Return creates a new paragraph.

Enter creates a new paragraph in the next frame.

If you do not see any text after clicking enter it might be, that you did a frame break and no next frame is available.

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

Just to clarify, Macs label the keys differently: Return and [numeric keypad] Enter; Windows labels both Enter, but they still have different functions.