How to indent first line of a paragraph?

by Keep Trying

Posted: 12 years ago 5 replies

WEB DESIGN

Hi, I hope I'm in the right place if this is for help with HTML problems...

Anyway, I would like to know how to indent the first line of each paragraph. I've tried searching online but it's not what I'm looking for. This is what I mean (I've taken some paragraphs from my site and pasted them here):

Dear reader,

Do you ever have times where you just can't focus on anything? Does it ever feel like you have hundreds of thoughts swirling through your mind like a circus of monkeys marching down a parade?

It's pretty crazy, you know, how distracting our lives can be at times. I know that even as you're reading this, there might be tons of distractions going on around you right now, so I applaud you for getting this far...

And this is what I'm hoping for...

Dear reader,

[Space here] Do you ever have times where you just can't focus on anything? Does it ever feel like you have hundreds of thoughts swirling through your mind like a circus of monkeys marching down a parade?

[Space here] It's pretty crazy, you know, how distracting our lives can be at times. I know that even as you're reading this, there might be tons of distractions going on around you right now, so I applaud you for getting this far...

In Microsoft Word, all you need to do is press Tab... but do you know I can do it online for each of my paragraphs?

#indent #line #paragraph

john_kennedy 12 years ago

p
{
text-indent:50px;
}

Use that bit of CSS. It won't work well with older browsers though.
- Thanks
- 1 reply
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- Keep Trying 12 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by john_kennedy
  
  p
  {
  text-indent:50px;
  }
  
  Use that bit of CSS. It won't work well with older browsers though.
  
  Hey John, I've inserted the code you gave me into my CSS. It helped indent all my paragraphs (thank you), but it affected my header too which I don't want. Do you know how to make it so that it doesn't indent my header? ...and possibly "Dear reader" below it?
  
  (See what I mean below)
  How To Focus Better
  
  Thanks
  
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Istvan Horvath 12 years ago

Originally Posted by Keep Trying

In Microsoft Word, all you need to do is press Tab...

Thanks God, the internet is not based on MS Word

There are different rules; I'd even say: more normal rules...

Furthermore, while you can do it, it is unusual for hypertext and it is not expected. It is a different medium, you know - with different rules, different expectations and different display/design approach.

As for your follow-up question: unless the paragraphs are in a div that can be defined in the stylesheet, e.g.
.divname p {...}
You cannot do it easily.

If you want only certain paragraphs to be with indent, you will need to add their own separate class to each instance of such paragraphs:

HTML - <p class="ugly">TEXT HERE </p>
CSS - .ugly {text-indent:50px;}
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Keep Trying 12 years ago

Thank you.
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john_kennedy 12 years ago

Ahh, you left out the crucial bit of information...I am using WP!~

So, in that case, go to Appearance->Editor and you should find your style.css file waiting to be edited. If not, click on the style.css file on the right side.

Scroll down until you see this:

.entry p {
font-size: 16px;
line-height: 1.8em;
margin-bottom: 15px;
}

and change it to:

.entry p {
font-size: 16px;
line-height: 1.8em;
margin-bottom: 15px;
text-indent:50px;
}
- Thanks
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