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One space or two?

by redx432
13 replies
I thought this would be a good place to ask this question.

Do you put one space or two at the end of a period before starting the next sentence in a paragraph?
#space
  • Profile picture of the author Pusateri
    One space. The double space is the hallmark of an amateur...or of a pro being ironic.
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  • Profile picture of the author Ashley Gable
    I was taught in high school to put two spaces after a period.

    I usually do when writing to friends, forums, etc.

    But I think that in copy one space looks better. Depending on the letter that begins the next sentence, it can look funny. Not always, sometimes it just catches your eye for whatever reason.

    Dont know if it really matters though. I dont think there is any "rule" regarding it.
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  • Profile picture of the author Pusateri
    The old double space convention is left over from the typewriter era when all fonts where monospaced (meaning each letter space was the same size, no matter the size of the actual letter).

    Since narrow letters could have wide gaps between them, the double space was needed to visually denote a full stop. That's not the case with the fonts we commonly use today.

    If you have ever thought a self published book looked amateurish, but couldn't lay your finger on why, the culprit was likely the double space.
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    • Profile picture of the author timsoulo
      Originally Posted by Pusateri View Post

      The old double space convention is left over from the typewriter era when all fonts where monospaced (meaning each letter space was the same size, no matter the size of the actual letter).

      Since narrow letters could have wide gaps between them, the double space was needed to visually denote a full stop. That's not the case with the fonts we commonly use today.

      If you have ever thought a self published book looked amateurish, but couldn't lay your finger on why, the culprit was likely the double space.
      thanks for the history lesson
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    • Profile picture of the author agc
      Originally Posted by Pusateri View Post

      The old double space convention is left over from the typewriter era when all fonts where monospaced (meaning each letter space was the same size, no matter the size of the actual letter).

      Since narrow letters could have wide gaps between them, the double space was needed to visually denote a full stop. That's not the case with the fonts we commonly use today.

      If you have ever thought a self published book looked amateurish, but couldn't lay your finger on why, the culprit was likely the double space.
      So you're telling us that if we go pick up a book typeset prior to, oh say 1975, that we'd find it was typeset w/ single spaces after periods since the proportional font didn't require them?

      I haven't checked this yet, but something tells me the amaterurish tell would be the use of "non justified" text, not the use of single spaces after periods.

      But I do intend to peruse my bookshelf tonight and report back.
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      • Profile picture of the author Mr. Subtle
        Originally Posted by agc View Post

        So you're telling us that if we go pick up a book typeset prior to, oh say 1975, that we'd find it was typeset w/ single spaces after periods since the proportional font didn't require them?

        But I do intend to peruse my bookshelf tonight and report back.
        Don't bother reporting back. There has been a single space placed after a period since Gutenberg invented the printing press way back in the mid 15th century.
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        • Profile picture of the author agc
          Originally Posted by Mr. Subtle View Post

          Don't bother reporting back. There has been a single space placed after a period since Gutenberg invented the printing press way back in the mid 15th century.
          Turns out you're part right. Yep, single spacing isn't recent. But no, it's not near as universal as you claim either.

          Much of my older fiction seems to use a space and a half after periods consistent with what wikipedia says. For example a late 50's printing of Animal Farm, and a early 60's printing of The Pearl. Although, in justified text, the spacing is variable so it's rare to find a line with the "minimum" spacing. Have to find a short sentence on the last line of a paragraph.

          FWIW, The wikipedia page on the subject was pretty good.
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      • Profile picture of the author Pusateri
        Originally Posted by agc View Post

        So you're telling us that if we go pick up a book typeset prior to, oh say 1975, that we'd find it was typeset w/ single spaces after periods since the proportional font didn't require them?

        I haven't checked this yet, but something tells me the amaterurish tell would be the use of "non justified" text, not the use of single spaces after periods.

        But I do intend to peruse my bookshelf tonight and report back.
        I wasn't referring to typesetting. A professional typesetter would always use the single space...but not all spaces are created equal. The variations you are seeing are "en space" which is the size of a lowercase n, and "em space" which is the size of a lowercase m.

        The amateur use of the double space I was referring to is a phenomenon of the desktop publishing era. Amateurs with bad double space habits create manuscripts in programs like Microsoft Word (a bad idea) and submit the digital file to the printer who turns it into a book exactly as he received it. Even justified, it looks goofy.

        In the old days, the typesetter would have saved the amateur from himself.
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  • Profile picture of the author Bruce Wedding
    Pusateri nailed it. Modern typography with proportional fonts does not require the extra space. The only time you'd use 2 spaces, that I can think of, is if you're using a fixed font and trying to simulate a typewritten letter.
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  • Profile picture of the author agc
    On the web it's irrelevant... as HTML ignores multiple spaces (regardless of whether you know better).
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    One man's terrorist is another man's patriot

    Those who profess to favor freedom and yet depreciate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground - Frederick Douglas

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  • Profile picture of the author dee4d
    Pusateri, you've cleared the air. But I think most of us who went to the old school system have been used to the two spaces so much and still find ourselves inserting them. But I'm changing, check this thread. Most automated software programs don't accept two spaces, it is usually a spelling mistake. We just have to change to the IM way of doing things, just like SEO method of writing an article.
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  • Profile picture of the author RickDuris
    I was talking with a Client who works for one of the big newsletter mailers today about this issue. He fires copywriters who insert two spaces between sentences. He said it's a sign of an amateur.

    - Rick Duris
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  • Profile picture of the author laurencewins
    Single spacing for sure unless it's done for a specific spacing reason.
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