[above] Half-inch indents are a holdover from 1960s-era typing classes,
when kids were instructed to indent five spaces. They’re OK in a letter, but
generally look bad in a book. Half-inch is Word’s default. The ‘proper’ indent
is an aesthetic decision, and varies with typeface, type size, page size,
margins and more. I generally use .3-inch for books with 12-point type.
Back when type was set from pieces of lead, an em quad was used to insert a blank space of the same width as an uppercase “M.” A one-em indent is generally safe for book text, but as far as I know an em indent is not an easy option if you are formatting with Word.
Back when type was set from pieces of lead, an em quad was used to insert a blank space of the same width as an uppercase “M.” A one-em indent is generally safe for book text, but as far as I know an em indent is not an easy option if you are formatting with Word.
[above] Missing tooth? Most paragraphs in most books will be indented, but I don’t indent a paragraph that starts parallel to the top of a graphic element, or generally the first line at the beginning of a chapter or section, or after a large white space, a chart, a diagram or a photograph.
These are aspects of personal style, and can change from book to book. Do some experimenting, look at lots of books, and maybe ask for advice or hire a designer.
Keep in mind, however, that a paragraph’s indent signals the beginning of the paragraph, so if the beginning is obvious without the indent, there is no need to indent.
A new paragraph can be introduced by a skipped line, an indent, an outdent, an initial cap or a symbol such as the pilcrow [above]. Although there is generally no need to use more than one indication, it is sometimes necessary to use a skipped line to provide space for an initial cap or a decorative symbol.
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