How to include 2 paragraphs in above/below paragraph rule lines with no lines between paragraphs

[Michael J B]

Please refer to attached: 01 Screen Shot re Paragraph Rule.

I find the controls for the application of the rule abstruse - settings as per 02 Screen Shot re Paragraph Rule with "Rule Below" yields a line above and a line below both paragraph.

My thought was to create a paragraph style with a line above (Rule Above) for the 1st paragraph, and a 2nd style (Rule Below) for the 2nd but I still end up with at least one line in between.

Thanks in advance for assistance.

[Kevin Stohlmeyer]

You could accomplish this with two Paragraph Styles - one to add a rule above, one to add a rule below. The apply to then individual paragraphs instead of selecting them both. I'm sure a script could be written to accomplish this as well once you have the base styles created. Apply A to the first paragraph, apply B to second paragraph.

[Michael J B]

Unfortunately I cannot get a "Rule Above" style to work properly. To see the problem:

• refer to "01 Rule Below" for style for the 2nd paragraph;

• refer to "02 Using Rule Below" to see how it applies...very nice line below 2nd paragraph.

Then:

• refer to "03 Rule Above" for style for the 1st paragraph;

• refer to "04 Using Rule Above" to see how it applies...it puts in a line both above and below the 1st paragraph !!! 

Why?

[Peter Spier]

> • refer to "04 Using Rule Above" to see how it applies...it puts in a line both above and below the 1st paragraph !!!

> Why?

I know this has been solved by using shading instead of rules, but to answer the "why?"question my guess is you probably based the rule above style on the rule below style and simply forgot to turn off the rule below.

[jmlevy · Accepted solution]

Don't use rules but paragraph borders, with these settings (highlighted in my screenshot).

So you need only one paragraph style.

[Michael J B]

As I illustrated above, setting up a style for 1st paragraph rule led to a line both above and below the paragraph.

Now, if I set up a paragraph border style it puts a line above and below - refer to 3 attached screen shots.

I cannot figure out why it is applying the bottom line, which has the characteristics of a Rule Below line.

Why?

[jmlevy]

Because you did not tick the “Merge consecutive borders and shadings with same settings” check box (see my screenshot) and you also must have a border below.

[Michael J B]

Actually, I found I had both the old Rule and the new Border turned on simultaneously. When I turned the Rule off, leaving only the Border above, the problem cleared up.

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

Yes, paragraph borders and rules sort of cooperate and sort of fight; you can combine them to achieve certain style effects but the way they interact is not always predictable. Best by far to use one or the other.

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[James Gifford—NitroPress · Accepted solution]

If two styles have IDENTICAL border settings, and the merge checkbox is checked, the border style will flow across as many paragraphs as you like. Very powerful formatting feature. But if there is any difference between two styles (even a point of rule width or spacing), it won't work.

Best to use cascading styles to keep things aligned. Set all the border characteristics in the first style, then create child styles for things like first-paragraphs and indented quote text. Don't touch the border settings in the child styles. Trying to set everything exactly the same in multiple styles just leads to frustration. 🙂

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