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#1 | |
Enthusiast
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Join Date: Jan 2020
Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kindle Oasis 3
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Finding the perfect paragraph indentation size
After having to add paragraph indentation to a self-published e-book version of a web serial that had neither space between paragraphs nor first-line indentation (and learning way more about CSS and e-book publishing than I ever thought I would want to know), I realized that I don't know what indentation size I prefer.
The truth of it is that you can get used to almost anything (except for a complete lack of paragraph differentiation!), particularly in light of past Kindle Store purchases—they're all wildly all over the place. Full line spacing is probably ideal for web, but on an e-reader, it's an unnecessary waste of space; moreover, most physical books use first-line indentation. What is the ideal size? Butterick's Practical Typography suggests that Quote:
What do you use when creating or customizing e-books? |
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#2 |
Passionate Reader
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Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Central Jersey, USA
Device: Samsung Galaxy Tab S3, Kobo Clara HD, Fire HD 8, Voyage, Oasis 3, PW5
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The first thing I do after buying a book is to import it into Calibre (de-DRMing it at the same time) and take a look at the CSS. My favorite paragraph indent value is 1.2 em. As you said, 1 em seems slightly too small and 1.5 slightly too big. For me (and Goldilocks), 1.2 is just right.
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#3 |
Enthusiast
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Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kindle Oasis 3
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Doesn't an indentation defined in em change depending on the font size you choose, though? Have you ever considered using %?
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#4 | |
Running with scissors
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Quote:
I don't know what the spec says so I did some experimenting and an indent using percentage seems to be based on the line width. If someone with poor eyesight increases the point size of the text, they'd get a small indentation relative to the text size when percentage is used. Personally I think the amount of indentation is yet another preference thing, like sans serif versus serif fonts, ragged-right versus justified, etc. I prefer an indentation of 2em. |
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#5 |
Grand Sorcerer
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Device: Kobo Sage & Libra 2
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1em for me. Always. Never bigger.
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#6 |
350 Hoarder
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Location: Midwest USA
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I'm a 1.2'er as well.
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#7 |
Guru
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1.5 em for me, not more, I can accept 1.2, not less.
Last edited by ps67; 01-22-2020 at 04:10 PM. |
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#8 |
Gentleman and scholar
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Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Space City, Texas
Device: Clara BW; Nook ST w/Glowlight, Paperwhite 3
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I use .3in (not .3em). It works for me.
I look at the formatting of every book in Calibre before I send it to my Kobo. But I only mess with formatting if indent is too small/large/doesn't exist, text isn't justified or if there is space between paragraphs. |
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#9 |
Unicycle Daredevil
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1.2em all the way.
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#10 | |
Resident Curmudgeon
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Quote:
I prefer 1.2em. Simon & Schuster also uses 1.2em for their Star Trek eBooks. It seems that most who have replied prefer 1.2em for an indent. |
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#11 |
Bibliophagist
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I use 4%. A pox on all those dEMon worshipping em users.
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#12 |
Readaholic
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It doesn't matter to me. When I read I don't see indentations or anything else.
Apache |
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#13 |
Well trained by Cats
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1.5 or 2em
MM <2em |
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#14 | |
Running with scissors
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Quote:
![]() But seriously I'm like that as well even though I always reformat my books to meet my standards; indented paragraphs, no extra white space between them, ragged right, and all font-family stuff deleted. Then one time I had been reading a book for at least an hour or more and then I noticed that the right margin was straight (justified) and there was extra white space between the paragraphs. So much for my fussy standards. |
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#15 | |
Resident Curmudgeon
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Tags |
css, indent, indentation, paragraph, text-indent |
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