Tabs or White Space?

[Solitaire1]

I prefer white space between the paragraphs, preferable about 1/2 of a line. When doing this, I prefer a visual marker (such as "***") centered on a line by itself between the paragraphs to clearly indicate a scene change.

[RichL]

Definitely white space. Without the paragraph break it is like a run-on sentence.

I might add that with few exceptions my ebooks get changed to DOS txt for the simple reason that for me it is easier to read. In my opinion bolding, changing of type face and etc. usually detracts from rather than adds to the readability.

[JSWolf]

I prefer no excess space between paragraphs. I like an indent (not spaced or tabbed) of 1.2em. I like the first paragraph of the chapter to have no indent and also that the first paragraph after a section break have no indent.

As for a section break, I don't mind just space or something like * * * as long as it is consistent. It's when it's not that I mind.

When reading on my 650, I prefer no margins.

I like my eBook to look clean and not cluttered with useless spacing that draws the eye away from the book. I don't like a 5% indent. Way too large. And a lot of margins are just too big. What I think is that publishers need to send their eBook staff to eBook formatting 101.

[BenG]

Originally Posted by Solitaire1

I prefer white space between the paragraphs, preferable about 1/2 of a line. When doing this, I prefer a visual marker (such as "***") centered on a line by itself between the paragraphs to clearly indicate a scene change.

Yes, the asterisks are preferable for a scene change because its easy for the double line space to be lost during conversions.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by BenG

Yes, the asterisks are preferable for a scene change because its easy for the double line space to be lost during conversions.

But only if you use the option to remove line spaces. But even still, you can end up with a mess.

This is what's preferable...

text
small space
* * *
small space
text

But if you remove line spacing, you can end up with...

text
* * *
text

which does not look as good. It's just easy to go into the CSS and change the code that gives excess line spacing. It's what I do so section breaks don't break.

[Ea]

We forfor to take the screen into account. There's quite a different between reading on a 6" e-ink screen and a smartphone - or a 10" screen.

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I prefer no excess space between paragraphs. I like an indent (not spaced or tabbed) of 1.2em. I like the first paragraph of the chapter to have no indent and also that the first paragraph after a section break have no indent.

As for a section break, I don't mind just space or something like * * * as long as it is consistent. It's when it's not that I mind.

When reading on my 650, I prefer no margins.

I like my eBook to look clean and not cluttered with useless spacing that draws the eye away from the book. I don't like a 5% indent. Way too large. And a lot of margins are just too big. What I think is that publishers need to send their eBook staff to eBook formatting 101.

True that. One or two letters indent is more than enough. And margins are something of the past that have no need on ereaders. The margins I have on my custom-generated PDF's are 1mm, I believe, just to keep them out of the shadow of the slightly raised bevel.

[Solitaire1]

Originally Posted by Solitaire1

I prefer white space between the paragraphs, preferable about 1/2 of a line. When doing this, I prefer a visual marker (such as "***") centered on a line by itself between the paragraphs to clearly indicate a scene change.

Originally Posted by BenG

Yes, the asterisks are preferable for a scene change because its easy for the double line space to be lost during conversions.

Originally Posted by JSWolf

But only if you use the option to remove line spaces. But even still, you can end up with a mess.

This is what's preferable...

text
small space
* * *
small space
text

But if you remove line spacing, you can end up with...

text
* * *
text

which does not look as good. It's just easy to go into the CSS and change the code that gives excess line spacing. It's what I do so section breaks don't break.

The main reason I prefer a visual marker is to avoid the potential ambiguity when using white space to indicate a scene change since there are a number of competing methods of laying out ebook text. Whether there is or is not white space around the marker, the marker itself provides a clear visual cue for a scene change, and I prefer it over white space even when the paragraphs are initially indented.

[beppe]

I prefer the white space and no indent on larger screens (iMac, iPad), intermediate (kindle3) and small (iTouch).

I also like some margins.

On larger screens, I like double pages.

The change of scene. No need for a traffic light, I think. I take what author or editor have chosen.

Yes. If it is not consistent, then it would be a disgrace. I do not think that I ever met the situation. Yet.

[Clancy_s]

Originally Posted by sakura-panda

No preference (and no poll option. )

This.

[snarkophilus]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I prefer no excess space between paragraphs. I like an indent (not spaced or tabbed) of 1.2em. I like the first paragraph of the chapter to have no indent and also that the first paragraph after a section break have no indent.

As for a section break, I don't mind just space or something like * * * as long as it is consistent. It's when it's not that I mind.

When reading on my 650, I prefer no margins.

I like my eBook to look clean and not cluttered with useless spacing that draws the eye away from the book. I don't like a 5% indent. Way too large. And a lot of margins are just too big. What I think is that publishers need to send their eBook staff to eBook formatting 101.

This is pretty much my preferences exactly, and totally agree on the margins comments in the last paragraph.

I'd tried a full blank line between paragraphs in the past and didn't like it. I saw DiapDealer's idea of 0.3em top margin between paragraphs and gave that a go, but still no joy even trying to stick with it for a couple of pages. Back to an indent and no blank space at all.

Cheers,
Simon.

[JoeD]

I prefer a blank line between paragraphs and don't mind whether the first word is indented or not. But this sounds like something that's going to be a personal choice and one which eBooks could actually provide as an option much like font size. Assuming ePub has markup so it knows about each paragraph.

[astrodad]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I like a 1-1.5 em paragraph indent and an ever so slightly larger than normal (but not a whole blank line) space between paragraphs (about a .3em margin-top). It just looks nice to me on a six-inch screen. Not that I'm picky or anything.

++1

I'm in the same boat as you.