w:spacing (Spacing)

Description

w:spacing controls the whitespace before and after a paragraph and the spacing between lines within it when used in paragraph context (w:pPr). It is defined in ECMA-376 Part 1 §17.3.1.33.

When applied inside w:rPr (run context), w:spacing controls character spacing (tracking/kerning offset) for individual runs, using different attributes than the paragraph variant. This element is essential for controlling document flow and readability.

All distance values in paragraph context are in twentieths of a point (twips); 1 inch = 1440 twips. Line spacing can be specified as fixed (exact), minimum (at least), or proportional (auto/percentage).

Attributes (Paragraph Context — inside w:pPr)

Attributes (Run Context — inside w:rPr)

Examples

Paragraph spacing: 12 pt before, 6 pt after, single line spacing

<w:pPr>
  <w:spacing w:before="240" w:after="120" w:line="240" w:lineRule="auto"/>
</w:pPr>

var pPr = new ParagraphProperties(
  new SpacingBetweenLines
  {
    Before = "240",    // 12 pt
    After = "120",     // 6 pt
    Line = "240",      // Single line spacing (100% at 12 pt baseline)
    LineRule = LineSpacingRuleValues.Auto
  });

1.5-line spacing with proportional units

<w:pPr>
  <w:spacing w:before="0" w:after="0" w:line="360" w:lineRule="auto"/>
  <!-- line="360" with lineRule="auto" = 1.5× line spacing -->
</w:pPr>

var pPr = new ParagraphProperties(
  new SpacingBetweenLines
  {
    Before = "0",
    After = "0",
    Line = "360",      // 1.5× line spacing (360 / 240 = 1.5)
    LineRule = LineSpacingRuleValues.Auto
  });

Fixed line spacing (exactly 18 pt)

<w:pPr>
  <w:spacing w:line="360" w:lineRule="exact"/>
  <!-- 360 twips = 18 pt exactly; overrides font size -->
</w:pPr>

var pPr = new ParagraphProperties(
  new SpacingBetweenLines
  {
    Line = "360",      // Exactly 18 pt line height
    LineRule = LineSpacingRuleValues.Exact
  });

Line Spacing Reference

Character Spacing in Runs (w:rPr context)

When w:spacing appears inside w:rPr, it controls character-level spacing (tracking):

<w:rPr>
  <w:spacing w:val="20"/>  <!-- 20 twentieth-points = 1 pt spacing added between characters -->
</w:rPr>

Useful for:

• Tight spacing: negative values (e.g., w:val="-10")
• Wide spacing: positive values (e.g., w:val="30")
• Small caps or decorative text

Autospacing Behavior

When w:beforeAutospacing="true" or w:afterAutospacing="true":

• Word automatically calculates spacing based on paragraph font size.
• Typical values are 0 pt before and 8-10 pt after for normal text.
• Consecutive paragraphs with matching autospacing settings use unified rather than additive spacing.
• Automatic spacing overrides explicit before or after values.

Conversion Reference

Character Spacing Example

<w:r>
  <w:rPr>
    <w:spacing w:val="20"/>
  </w:rPr>
  <w:t>Spaced out text</w:t>
</w:r>

var run = new Run(
  new RunProperties(
    new Spacing { Val = "20" }  // +1 pt character spacing
  ),
  new Text("Spaced out text"));

Twips Conversion Reference

Notes

• Paragraph vs. character spacing: Paragraph spacing controls space before/after paragraphs and between lines; run-level spacing controls tracking between characters.
• Line spacing units: With w:lineRule="auto", w:line is measured in 1/240ths of a line (240 = single, 360 = 1.5×, 480 = double). With exact or atLeast, it is measured in twips (240 twips = 12 pt).
• Line rule impact: auto is proportional to font size, exact fixes the line height and can cause overlap with large fonts, and atLeast sets a minimum that can expand.
• Paragraph spacing collapse: Adjacent paragraphs do not simply add their spacing; the larger effective spacing is used.
• Before/after line precedence: beforeLines and afterLines take precedence over distance-based before and after values.
• Twips: 1440 twips = 1 inch = 72 points; 20 twips = 1 point; 240 twips = 12 points.
• Line units: beforeLines and afterLines express spacing in line multiples (fiftieths), which is more proportional than twips.
• Character-width units: In w:rPr, w:spacing is measured in twentieths of a point, not paragraph twips; it is applied uniformly and may affect kerning or ligatures.
• Negative character spacing: Negative values compress characters and may cause overlap; use sparingly.
• Practical defaults: Body text commonly uses single spacing (w:line="240" w:lineRule="auto") or 1.15 spacing (w:line="276" w:lineRule="auto").
• Performance: Excessive character spacing or very tight spacing can affect rendering and readability.
• Accessibility: Adequate line spacing (1.5× or more) can improve readability; very tight or loose spacing reduces readability.
• Localization: Spacing requirements vary by language and culture; test with the target audience.
• Print and screen: Rendering may vary between screen and print; test both. Line spacing generally renders consistently across printer types.
• Compatibility: Standard line spacing is supported across Office versions; newer values such as beforeLines may not render in legacy versions.