RTF double spacing

[stratuscloud]

I am taking an online class and the teacher requires documents to be submitted in rtf format instead of the usual doc format.....

My problem is, when i type up a paper and put it in standard MLA format with double spacing and save it. When I reopen it, the first paragraph stays double spaced but the heading, and rest of the paragraphs go back to single space, and when i highlight it and double space it again then save it and reopen it, it ends up in single space again.

I dont have microsoft word and openoffice is my program for writing, though I may have to download....and pay for word which I am hoping there is a solution to get the problem fixed with openoffice?

[esperantisto]

Instead of using ad-hoc formatting, create style(s) or modify the existing ones to have double line spacing. You may find helpful tutorial here. As a general rule, styles are much better exported to RTF.

By the way, it would be much better if you uploaded a sample file, because, for example, “standard MLA format” means nothing to me or, I suspect, to many other people here. Refer to [Forum] How to attach a document here.

[stratuscloud]

here is the file, its a reading response for house of sand and fog

[MacPhisto]

I just had a look at your document; like you, I lose the double spaced line-height if I use manual layout. However, the line-height is preserved if I use paragraph styles. To try to use paragraph styles you could have a look at the link esperantisto posted, chapter 3.

A—very short—guide on what to do in this particular case:
1. select all paragraphs that make up the body of your text;
2. in the top-left of the screen, from the drop-down menu that says “default”, select “Text body”;
3. right-click on any of these selected paragraphs, and from the context menu select “Edit Paragraph Style”;
4. in the tab “Indents & Spacing” select “Double” for line-spacing.

Again, to avoid problems with the layout of your documents, it is best to learn how to use styles—they really make your life that much easier (really!)

[TheGurkha]

It is always safer to work in the native OOo formats (.odt and .ods etc) and then use Save As to save a copy in .rtf, .doc or .xls format if you need to distribute it. But always then go back to the native OOo version to continue working. If the people you are sending to do not need to edit the files then it is best to send them a PDF as then no matter what office suite they use it will be possible for them to read and print the files.

[Firlefanz]

Hello there,

thanks for trying to help. With this version of OO, the problem has become highly annoying. Exporting from odt to rtf (I prefer working in odt, and exporting, as TheGurkha suggested) causes the file to lose paragraph formatting. I could live with that, but it gets worse: Repairing paragraph formatting in the rtf file does not help. On saving and reopening, the paragraph format is lost AGAIN.

I'm a writer submitting stories, and publishers routinely want rtf-files. They want them in Courier New, double spaced (standard manuscript format) and in no other format. Sometimes, they even put authors on a blacklist for not submitting in correct format.

Ultimately this means: Until there is a way to format rtf correctly within OpenOffice, or exporting to rtf from a perfectly fine odt document is handled correctly, I won't be able to use Open Office for creating correct rtf-files to submit. In other words, OO becomes useless to me, and I have to revert to the help of another certain office product. That's a shame, because I love OO and have been recommending it to a lot of my writing friends.

We all don't want this. So please, please, developing community, take a look at rtf-converting and handling, because I want to keep using my favorite Office program.

[Cambirder]

OO becomes useless to me, and I have to revert to the help of another certain office product. That's a shame, because I love OO and have been recommending it to a lot of my writing friends.

OOo's RTF support is not good (and luckily I've never had to use that format), but that does not mean you have to revert to Word. Abiword is an alternative WP that handles RTF files without the problems associated with OO, so you could switch to that or just use it to convert .doc files to RTF format.

We all don't want this. So please, please, developing community, take a look at rtf-converting and handling, because I want to keep using my favorite Office program.

I'm afraid there are no developers here just fellow users.