This article is a part of “The 12 Golden Rules of Desktop Publishing Every Designer Should Know“
Have you ever hit the spacebar twice after typing a period? You’re not alone — and you’re not exactly wrong either… just outdated.
One of the most debated (and misunderstood) topics in desktop publishing and typography is whether to use one space or two after the end of a sentence. While it might seem like a minor issue, this tiny spacing decision can have a surprisingly big impact on the overall appearance and readability of your work.
Let’s dig into the history, the logic, and most importantly — the correct design practice for modern publishing.
📜 The Origin of the Two-Space Rule
Back in the days of typewriters, all characters took up the same amount of space — whether it was a skinny “i” or a wide “W”. This system is known as monospacing. Because every letter was given equal width, it could be hard to tell where one sentence ended and the next began. To solve this, typists were taught to insert two spaces after every period.
It made sense — back then.
✨ The Evolution to Proportional Fonts
Today’s digital design tools and fonts are proportionally spaced. That means letters like “m” are wider than “i”, which results in natural and more readable spacing.
With proportional fonts:
- One space is visually sufficient to indicate a sentence break.
- Two spaces create what we call “rivers of white space” — uneven gaps that break the rhythm of text.
- It causes visual clutter in paragraphs, especially in tightly-packed columns.
In short, those extra spaces now do more harm than good.
🎯 Why It Matters in Desktop Publishing
When you’re designing a brochure, magazine, website, or even a book, every bit of spacing and alignment matters. Here’s why using only one space makes a difference:
✅ It looks cleaner and more professional
Typesetters, graphic designers, and publishers never use double spaces in professional print. In fact, most modern publishing software will automatically flag or correct it.
✅ It ensures consistency
Consistency in spacing improves readability and flow. Extra spaces can break this rhythm, especially in justified text blocks.
✅ It saves space
In large documents, double spacing between sentences can add several extra lines or even pages of content. If you’re working on tight layouts — especially newsletters or academic papers — one space helps fit content better.
❌ Still Using Two Spaces? Here’s How to Fix It
If you’re in the habit of adding two spaces, don’t worry — it’s easy to fix.
📘 In Microsoft Word:
- Press
Ctrl + Hto open the Find & Replace tool. - In Find, type two spaces.
- In Replace, type one space.
- Hit Replace All.
📙 In InDesign or Adobe software:
Use GREP Find/Change to globally replace all instances of two spaces with one.
🧐 Frequently Asked Questions
🔹 Is it ever okay to use two spaces?
In informal writing, emails, or personal documents — sure, do what feels right. But in professional typesetting or published content, stick with one space.
🔹 What about fixed-width fonts like Courier?
Even then, it’s better to stay consistent. Many professional formats still require one space, even in monospace environments.
🔹 Will people notice if I use two spaces?
Designers and editors will. And more importantly, your readers might notice something “feels off” without realizing it’s due to uneven spacing.
✅ Bottom Line
One space after punctuation is the professional standard.
Leave the double space behind with the typewriter. Embrace modern typography. Your readers — and your layout — will thank you.
🛠️ Bonus Tip:
Train yourself to hit the spacebar once — and use automation tools to correct the rest. It might take a week to adjust, but the payoff in cleaner design and easier editing is worth it.
🏷️ Tags:
desktop publishing, typography, font spacing, design rules, text formatting, typesetting
#Hashtags:
#DesktopPublishing #TypographyTips #DesignRules #OneSpaceOnly #GraphicDesign #PublishingMistakes
📖 Next Rule → Don’t Use Double-Hard Returns After Paragraphs
