Office '10



I want no spacing between lines. One of the style icons on the ribbon is such a style.

In a new document I click on the no space style. I then click on Change Styles on the ribbon and Set as Default.

And here lies the totally annoying, aggravating habit of Word throughout the years of versions.

I'm asked if I wish to save the changes and if I answer yes, the document saved is document1--which is just another document and not the Word file used to store defaults--I say no to exit.

Why, if I've said to change the default, does MS need to further complicate and confuse what would appear to be a simple process.

I'm still left with the intended style not as the new document default!?

Mark

Home tab | Change Styles | Set as Default doesn't affect which style is applied to text by default.

Instead, you should change the default formatting, which you can do as follows: Create a new, blank document, for example by pressing Ctrl+N. Press Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S to display the Styles pane. Click the Manage Styles icon. In the Manage Styles dialog box, click the Set Defaults tab. Under "Paragraph Spacing," make sure that both "Before" and "After" are set to zero. Make any other changes as desired. Select "New documents based on this template" and then click OK. Later, if/when you are prompted to save the Normal template, choose to do so.

__________________
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP

Microsoft 365 apps for business
Windows 11 Professional

Sorry Stefan but I'm stuck right out of the box. After doing "Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S to display the Styles pane", there is absolutely no icon on the Styles pane that says 'Manage Styles". I clicked on Options at the bottom of the pane window just to be sure + confirm that all icons are visible on the pane.

Mark

Mark,

Just to followup with with Stefan's instructions, the Manage Styles icon is just to the left of "Options" inside the Styles pane. (There are three separate icons...hoover your mouse over each...the Manage Styles is the far right icon.

Then continue with Stefan's instructions...

Indeed, none of the icons in the Styles pane have text on them. As Jim clarified, you will have to rest the mouse pointer on top of icons until you find the correct one.

__________________
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP

Microsoft 365 apps for business
Windows 11 Professional

Thanks--done.

But exiting results in the other problem that I had mentioned initially. I understand that changes to the Word default are always associated with a normal template. But previously and this instance too, I'm prompted to save Document1 to my default data file location not a normal...? So I presume that I'm still doing something wrong.

Mark

Since you have made changes in a document, you will be prompted to save the document. Whether you will be prompted to save Normal or not depends on if you have enabled "Prompt before saving Normal template" in the Advanced category of the Word Options dialog box. When that options is cleared (which it is by default), Word saves the template without asking you.

__________________
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP

Microsoft 365 apps for business
Windows 11 Professional

Okay--I believe I've found the source of 1 of my misunderstandings.

On closer inspection, my wife's past version preference has apparently been 0 line spacing. I had been changing the default to Single before posting and after posting and following your directions I continued to check the line setting at Single--hence, no change.

There must be a way to set the default line spacing to 0 since the second ribbon style icon does so. Yet, the lowest setting in the drop down box of the style manager is single.

Where is 0?

Mark

Go back to the Manage Styles menu/Set Defaults and set the line spacing from "single" to "At Least", then "At" set to "0".

However, leaving the Line spacing at "Single" accomplishes the same thing (At least I think so! I don't see the difference). Then again, I may be missing something that you are trying to achieve.

Unfortunately your last suggestion doesn't work.

I've attached a screen shot of her Word page showing first what 2 lines look like using your instructions and the second example using the 0 spacing ribbon style icon you can see at the top.

Mark

Attached Images

Style.PNG (16.9 KB, 13 views)

Okay, it all has to do with setting your styles. This link should help you:

http://shaunakelly.com/word/styles/tipsonstyles.html

But, for a quickie fix, you could highlight the first two lines (labeled "At least, 0), leave the Line Spacing at "Single" then set the "Spacing" to "Before = 0 pt" and "After = 0 pt". You will get the results you are looking for.

Hope this helps...(The link surely will!!).

(Sorry...did not mean to highjack this topic from Stephan or cause confusion.)

Indeed, if you want just the spacing that is built into the font, you should set Spacing Before and After to zero and select "Single" for Line Spacing.

To clarify further, Spacing Before and After determine the spacing added between paragraphs when you press Enter (this value will be added to the current line spacing). Line Spacing determines the spacing between lines of a paragraph.

__________________
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP

Microsoft 365 apps for business
Windows 11 Professional

Thanks guys--the deed is done.

Mark