

The short answer is that the default line spacing changed in Word 2007 to make online documents more readable. If you want to change the default line spacing in Word 2007 or Word 2010, or learn how to set the line spacing in a single document, here are the best resources we’ve found for step-by-step instructions. When the default line spacing in documents changed from single spacing in Word 2003 to a slightly roomier 1.15 spacing in Word 2007 and Word 2010, customers asked the inevitable: Why did the default line spacing change? And how do I change it back? In this case, I used the Relaxed option to give my document a little more space but maintain the Word 2003 style set as the default for my other documents.įind instructions for using the new paragraph spacing option, changing the default style set for all of your documents, and much more, in Adjust the spaces between lines or paragraphs.(Note: Since so many people continue to ask us about how to change line spacing in Word 2010, we decided to re-publish this post.) Rest your mouse on each option to view the options right in your document. Under Change Styles, you can fine tune by using the Paragraph Spacing option. Say you want your document to look like Word 2003, so you click Change Styles in the Styles group and choose the Word 2003 style set.īut maybe the look is a bit too compressed for you. In addition to the default spacing change in Word 2007, Word 2010 introduces a paragraph spacing option that gives you even more control over your document style and appearance. Back in 2007, the product designers changed the default line spacing to improve document readability, according to a 2006 blog post by Stuart Stuple, one of the Microsoft Word program managers for Word 2007.


Word 2007 and Word 2010 have a different line spacing default than Word 2003 and earlier versions. Upgrading to Word 2010 from an early version of Word? Surprised by the default line spacing?
