1 Space or 2 Spaces After a Period

[HFCS]

actual expert opinion: 1 space

It was only two spaces for the brief moment in the history of printed text where our technology did not allow for one correct space on typewriters and dated archaic personal computers.

Even in that brief moment in history actual professionally typeset books, advertising, newspapers and magazines used one correctly kerned space. It has always been one space in every book you've ever read from a major publisher.

100% 1 space

/thread

 

[brianhos]

Learned to type on a typewriter, thus it was two spaces. Not sure where all this one space stuff even started.

 

[HFCS]

One space always, nowadays.

Unless you have to write a paper with a length requirement for school.....

The graphic design students eyes would light up in a gen ed class if a teacher required a certain number of pages.

We were simultaneously learning in our other classes how to professionally squeeze type into small spaces and bloat it to fill space in other situations.

 

[clonedude]

It should be 2. Looks better, and it’s only one because millennials are lazy!!

 

[Cyched]

Learned to type on a typewriter, thus it was two spaces. Not sure where all this one space stuff even started.

You answered your own question.

 

[DarkStar]

Use as many spaces as necessary to convey how long you want the reader to ponder what you just wrote. It adds dramatic effect.

As said earlier, just another sign millenials are lazy. (I know. OK. Boomer)

Learned 2 spaces on a typewriter.

For one hellish time in my life, I had to write code using LISP. It forever destroyed my ability to use punctuation or the English language correctly.

So, I'm good with whatever floats your boat.

 

[GTO]

Millennials always trying to do less work than the rest of us. What is the world coming to?

 

[ImJustKCClone]

2 spaces. Old habits are hard to break.

 

[stateofmind]

Honestly disappointed in CF.

This? This is what made you disappointed? You need to set standards a bit higher.

It’s the end of a thought. Deserves 2 spaces. Not unlike a paragraph break deserves a hard carriage return.

One space between words.
Two spaces between sentences.
Hard return between paragraphs.

Makes sense.

Converted to 1 in early 2000s when educated by a coworker helping me write training manuals. It was a tough transition for a week or two.

When did we lose the tab at the beginning of paragraphs?

 

[Bipolarcy]

I've seen this discussion on Reddit, and now it's being noted by CNN. I have a feeling this may be the next .gif (Jif vs Gif pronunciation) argument of our time!!

Do you personally put 1 space or 2 spaces after a period before beginning the next sentence? (See Poll!)

As a typing master who learned typing on a computer but took tests on a typewriter, I am and will always be a 2 space advocate. What say you all!!!

CNN article:
https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/27/tech/microsoft-word-two-spaces-trnd/index.html

As a career copy editor (now retired), I can definitely say one should be the standard and I hate when people use two. The reason? When what you're typing is going to be in a printed publication, if you use two spaces, a space can be pushed down to the start of a line, making it look like a mini paragraph indentation. You don't have that problem with one space. I was never, ever taught to double space after periods. I have no idea where that comes from.

(Now since this board is noted for its posters who love to argue even when they have no leg to stand on, someone disagree with a guy who did this for his livelihood.)

 

[Cycsk]

As a career copy editor (now retired), I can definitely say one should be the standard and I hate when people use two. The reason? When what you're typing is going to be in a printed publication, if you use two spaces, a space can be pushed down to the start of a line, making it look like a mini paragraph indentation. You don't have that problem with one space. I was never, ever taught to double space after periods. I have no idea where that comes from.

(Now since this board is noted for its posters who love to argue even when they have no leg to stand on, someone disagree with a guy who did this for his livelihood.)

It is strange to find out how strongly I feel about something that I thought was standard (two spaces), but now am finding out it wasn't.

Even though I'm learning that it is merely an unfounded opinion, I still prefer the look and feel of two spaces after a sentence.

 

[ImJustKCClone]

When did we lose the tab at the beginning of paragraphs?

YES!!!

 

[ImJustKCClone]

As a career copy editor (now retired), I can definitely say one should be the standard and I hate when people use two. The reason? When what you're typing is going to be in a printed publication, if you use two spaces, a space can be pushed down to the start of a line, making it look like a mini paragraph indentation. You don't have that problem with one space. I was never, ever taught to double space after periods. I have no idea where that comes from.

(Now since this board is noted for its posters who love to argue even when they have no leg to stand on, someone disagree with a guy who did this for his livelihood.)

Not arguing with you. I was taught 2 spaces in typing class in 1970. Like I said, old habits are hard to break.
And you'll probably notice that I even do it here!