18 Spacing and Indentation
One noticeable difference between academic and professional writing is the spacing and indentation used. You probably wrote essays for school using double-spaced lines, for example, to provide instructors with space to provide feedback. We rarely use double-spacing in professional writing. Some individuals may prefer double-spacing when reviewing drafts, but it will be reformatted before the distribution of the final draft. Like all professional writing, the efficiency of communications, genre conventions, and stylistic choice should help determine spacing levels. Sometimes, I select 1.15 spacing in Word when the typeface warrants it.
Indenting the first line in paragraphs is also used infrequently, especially when writing for the screen. The amount of blank, "negative" space should be considered when composing longer professional documents such as cover letters, reports, and memos. Too much spacing can be distracting, while too little can be exhausting to read. Many of our tools automatically set these elements for us, yet these default settings are not always preferred.
Line Spacing
Line spacing is the measure between lines on the written page or screen. The space between lines is automatically adjusted to accommodate whatever font is used (approximately 130% of the font size). Double-spaced lines are typically reserved for academic writing. The space between lines should be set to single or 1.15. When drafting professional documents, 1.5 may be used.
Spaces Between Paragraphs
Providing a small amount of space between paragraphs is a good method for relieving the strain of reading on screen. For Microsoft Word, the default is 8 pts. of spacing.
Indentation
For longer printed documents, a half-inch indentation can help distinguish the beginning of paragraphs. Instead of indentation, it is also acceptable to add space between paragraphs; the default in Microsoft Word is 8 pt. Indentations are not typically used when writing for the screen. Spacing between paragraphs is preferred.
Memos are not typically indented but incorporate added space between paragraphs instead.
Margins
Margins for documents written on standard, 8.5 x 11 sized pages should be one inch on each side. If there is any design work, such as a letterhead on the page, be sure to retain the 1-inch margin. Do not increase the margin size for page numbers.
