Getting the same number of lines on a page?

[DavidBH]

Hello

My apologies if this question has been posted before (I would reckon so, but I can't find it).

I'm in the process of reformatting an OO .odt for a book (there are easier tasks) and I can't find the way in which the lines - at the bottom of the page - are equal (land at the same point, left hand/right hand). On some pages the lines are identical, and some pages look as if another line could be inserted (it can't, and the latter looks amateurish). I'm reckoning this problem will lie in the 'paragraph formatting', although, when I check this, the pages that are okay match the ones that are not!

I know, there is something different (within the formatting) 'appearing' on each page, but I can't see it. Has anyone run into this problem before? Any help or advice would be appreciated.

tia, David.

[RoryOF]

Reformatting an .odt file for a book is very easy.

You should use Paragraph styles, and make all used styles (including the paragraph styles used for headings if there are sub-headings in the text) all be multiples of the same unit, which you will have to decide - it depends on type size, line spacing, printable area of page - a trial page printed out and measured usually gets one there after two or three adjustments. One needs to ensure that Space Above and Space below paragraphs are included in this multiple.

It is usually best not to separate text paragraphs by white space - indent their first line instead. One may also need to adjust the amount a superscript or subscript is raised or lowered, if footnotes or endnotes are used, so that the super/sub-script does not increase the lines spacing (as it may do be default).

Edit: Also, pay attention to Widow/Orphan settings for paragraph styles. Without care and attention these can force a page break leaving a line count short on a page.

[John_Ha]

The headers and footers are defined in the page formats - make sure all are identical.

Register true - see Help - allows you to keep lines on the front and back sides of the paper aligned. But, if you do something (increase a gap after a paragraph, insert a frame or image which is not an integral number of lines + spaces long you will get a large gap.

You can increase or reduce the space after a paragraph by Format > Paragraph > Indents and Spacing ..., to spread paragraphs out.

Upload a file with a few pages showing the problem so that it can be analysed. Use the Upload attachment tab below where you type (128 kB max); or use a file share site, Dropbox or Google Drive for a larger file.

You will find much useful information in the Writer FAQ, the Writer Tutorials, the up to date Writer guide and the Writer Manual. May I suggest you bookmark the pages.

[RoryOF]

What type of book? If plain text, with Chapter headings only, then very easy. If with numbered headings and subheadings and illustrations, much more difficult. For a plain text book, with Chapter headings only, my preference is to start each Chapter on a fresh page - that way the line count of the Chapter page doesn't matter; all other pages except for last page in a chapter should have the same number of lines, provided attention is paid to Window and Orphan settings.

[DavidBH]

Hi Rory and John. Many thanks for your speedy replies.

I should've attached a file showing the problem I'm having so, if I've got this down to the allowable size, one is attached now (this shows the text boundary).

Yes – I need to read manuals more. Styles, especially the Widow/Orphan settings and that Register true obviously need my attention.

This is a plain text re-formatting (of a badly formatted novel) so it shouldn't be difficult. Given that each Chapter will (now) start on a fresh (right-hand) page, and each chapter will be exported as a separate PDF (to be 're-joined' – a page numbering issue I haven't mentioned ... yet) this particular problem shouldn't be one.

I have no 'space above/below a paragraph' (using indents for each new paragraph) and the problem I had with Chapter pages (getting the space from the top down to the line 'Chapter Y' etc to be identical throughout appears to be fixed).

Again, I'll look at Styles, the FAQ, Tutorials etc, and – no doubt – I'll be back. In the meantime, thank you both for your input.

[John_Ha]

It is impossible to analyse from images - we need the .odt file itself. The problem may well be - is almost certainly - elsewhere on the page.

[RoryOF]

Pages 308 & 314/315 look like the widow/orphan settings forcing a line to the next page. To decide this we would need to see the tops of pages 309, 315, 316. Tops of 319, 320 probably have multiple line paragraphs.

It may be, just possibly, that some arithmetic error is squeezing the bottom line out. It might be worth decreasing the bottom margin by a miniscule amount, say 0.25mm to let a "squeezed" line fit. But I really think it is Windows and Orphans.