Understanding Paragraphs, Alignment & Spacing
Why Formatting Matters
A document's readability depends on three things:
- Styles – Using heading styles (H1, H2, H3) instead of manual bold
- Alignment – How text lines up on the page
- Spacing – The space between lines and paragraphs
Styles: The Foundation
What Are Styles?
Styles are pre-defined formatting templates:- Heading 1 – For document titles (large, bold)
- Heading 2 – For section headings
- Heading 3 – For subsections
- Normal – For body text
Why Use Styles?
- Consistent formatting throughout the document
- Automatic Table of Contents generation
- Easy to change the look of the entire document at once
Rule: Never use manual bold for headings. Always use heading styles!
Alignment Options
| Type | Use For |
|---|---|
| Left | Body text (most common) |
| Center | Titles, headings |
| Right | Dates, page numbers |
| Justify | Formal printed documents only |
Spacing
Line Spacing
- 1.0 – Too tight, hard to read
- 1.15 – Standard for professional documents ✅
- 1.5 – Academic papers
- 2.0 – Drafts for editing
Paragraph Spacing
Instead of pressing Enter twice, use:- Space Before – Space above the paragraph
- Space After – Space below the paragraph (usually 12pt)
Rule: Never use empty paragraphs for spacing!
What You'll Practice
In this module, you'll:
- Transform a basic memo using proper styles
- Apply heading hierarchy to a document
- Fix alignment and spacing problems
Let's get started!