How to Get Rid of Double Spacing in Word
Some documents that you create in Microsoft Word will need double spacing, and some will need single spacing.
Depending on your application's current setting, or the spacing option chosen for an existing document, switching the line spacing can present some challenges, especially if you need to change it for an entire document.
Line spacing is also one of the biggest factors that contribute to the length of a document. If you are using double spacing by default, then any document you create can be almost twice the length that it would be if you were using single spacing instead.
If the copy of Microsoft Word 2013 on your computer is set to double space by default, then you can adjust this setting to use a different sized line spacing. Follow our short guide below to find out how you can change your default line spacing in Word 2013.
How to Switch from Double Spacing to Single Spacing in Word 2013
- Open your document.
- Press Ctrl + A to select everything.
- Click the Home tab.
- Click the Line and Paragraph Spacing button.
- Choose the desired line spacing.
Our article continues below with additional information on changing the default line spacing. Sections below also include pictures for these steps if you are having difficulty finding some of the settings we discuss.
The next section outlines how to adjust the default line spacing setting in Word.
How to Get Rid of Default Double Spacing in Word 2013
This tutorial will assume that the default line spacing in your copy of Word 2013 is set to double spacing, and that you want to change it to single spacing.
If you simply want to change the spacing on an existing document, and do not want to change the default settings, then you can read this article. This can be a good option if your school or place of employment requires double-spacing, but you have a single document that you want to modify.
Step 1: Open Microsoft Word 2013.
Step 2: Click the Home tab at the top of the window.
Step 3: Click the small Paragraph Settings button at the bottom-right corner of the Paragraph section of the navigational ribbon.
Step 4: Click the drop-down menu under Line spacing, then select the Single option. Note that you can select any other line spacing option that you prefer.
Step 5: Click the Set as Default button at the bottom of the window.
Step 6: Click the button to the left of All documents based on the Normal template, then click the OK button.
Any new document that you create in Word 2013 will now use the line spacing that you just selected.
Summary – How to change default line spacing in Word 2013
- Click the Home tab.
- Click the Paragraph Settings button in the Paragraph section of the ribbon.
- Click the drop-down menu under Line Spacing, then select the desired line spacing.
- Click the Set as Default button.
- Click the circle to the left of All documents based on the Normal template, then click OK.
If you have an existing document that is double-spaced, and you would like to change it to single spacing, then you can follow the steps in the section below instead.
How to Single Space in Word 2013
Step 1: Click anywhere inside the document, then press Ctrl + A to select the entire document.
Step 2: Click the Home tab at the top of the window.
Step 3: Click the Line and Paragraph Spacing button in the Paragraph section of the ribbon, then click the 1.0 option.
Summary – How to remove double spacing in an existing Word document and switch to single spacing
- Click inside the body of the document, then press Ctrl + A to select the whole document.
- Click the Home tab.
- Click the Line and Paragraph Spacing button, then click 1.0.
Note that you don't need to select everything in the document if it's a blank, new document. You can simply change the setting on the Line and Paragraph spacing menu.
Would you like your new documents to save to a different location? Learn how to change the default Word 2013 save location and start saving your documents in the location of your choosing.
See also
- How to insert a check mark in Microsoft Word
- How to do small caps in Microsoft Word
- How to center text in Microsoft Word
- How to merge cells in Microsoft Word tables
- How to insert a square root symbol in Microsoft Word
Matthew Burleigh has been writing tech tutorials since 2008. His writing has appeared on dozens of different websites and been read over 50 million times.
After receiving his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Computer Science he spent several years working in IT management for small businesses. However, he now works full time writing content online and creating websites.
His main writing topics include iPhones, Microsoft Office, Google Apps, Android, and Photoshop, but he has also written about many other tech topics as well.
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How to Get Rid of Double Spacing in Word
Source: https://www.solveyourtech.com/turn-double-spacing-word-2013/