How to have spacing between tables and text when regular body paragraphs are not space separated (just indented)

formattingmicrosoft wordstyles

Sometimes, I use paragraphs without special spacing between them and just indent the first line.

There does not seem to be a straightforward way to keep spaces between a table and the previous or posterior paragraph using styles (no direct formatting) unless the paragraph style includes spacing above and below.

As Lipsticks suggested, I could create a special style for the paragraphs above a table and another style for paragraphs below a table. However, if I change the order of paragraphs including one that is above or below a table, the resulting formatting will not be the desired one. I DO NOT WANT TO CHANGE STYLES WHEN I SWITCH THE ORDER OF PARAGRAPHS because I may forget and it is extra work.

How can I get inter-paragraphs spacing equal to line spacing and wider spacing between text paragraphs and tables?

Best Answer

Table without Title

Create a new style named SpaceBeforeTable with the following characteristics:

  1. Line spacing: 0.7

  2. Spacing Before: 6 points (for example)

  3. Keep with next

Create a new style named SpaceAfterTable with the following characteristics:

  1. Line spacing: 0.7

  2. Spacing After: 6 points (for example)

The syles used in the table must include Paragraph - Line and Page Breaks: Keep with next.

I save a table with an empty paragraph above and another below with the specified styles as a Quick Part.

Table with Title

For a table with title, instead of an empty paragraph before the table, I include a title paragraph with a style that incorporates the desired spacing.

I save a table with a title paragraph above and an empty space below as another Quick Part.

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