2/1/24, 6:56 PM CE Word 365 Lesson 2

CE Word 365 Lesson 2

Adjusting Spacing Before and After

Paragraphs
The default spacing after paragraphs in Word is 8 pt. This creates an evenly spaced
document with some spacing between paragraphs to make it easier to tell when one
paragraph ends and another begins. Sometimes you will want to increase the amount
of space after paragraphs or add space above the paragraph in addition to below the
paragraph.
To adjust the amount of white space that appears above and below paragraphs:
1. Place the cursor in the paragraph you want to change.
2. Click the Layout tab.
3. In the Paragraph group, click the up and down arrows next to the Before box to
adjust the spacing above the paragraph.
4. Click the up and down arrows next to the After box to adjust the spacing below the
paragraph.

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2/1/24, 6:56 PM CE Word 365 Lesson 2

FIGURE WD 2.21

You can also adjust the spacing around paragraphs from the Line Spacing menu:
1. On the Home tab, in the Paragraph group, click the Line Spacing button.
2. Select Add Space Before Paragraph to add space above the paragraph.
3. Select Remove Space After Paragraph to remove space below the paragraph.

While this is a quick way to adjust spacing before and after paragraphs, be aware that
with this method you cannot customize the amount of space added before or after the
paragraph.

FIGURE WD 2.22

tips & tricks

When you click the up and down arrows, the value for the spacing adjusts by
6 pts. You can also type a value in the box to apply more precise spacing.
If you want to adjust how paragraphs appear on the page, add space before
or after the text rather than pressing Enter to add space. Pressing Enter adds
unnecessary line breaks and can cause issues with the page layout if future
edits are made to the document.

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2/1/24, 6:56 PM CE Word 365 Lesson 2

another method
To adjust spacing before and after paragraphs, you can also open the
Paragraph dialog and change the spacing in the Before and After boxes in the
Spacing section.

let me try Live!

If you do not have the data file from the previous skill open, open the student data
file
wd2-17-SpaNewsletter and try this skill on your own:
1. Place the cursor in the first line of the document (beginning with The Weekly
Wrap).
2. Change the spacing before the paragraph to 18 pt. and the spacing after the
paragraph to 18 pt.
3. If you will be moving on to the next skill in this chapter, leave the document
open to continue working. If not, save the file as directed by your instructor and
close it.

Page(s)
ID wd21_sk_02_17

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