LibreOffice Writer Line Spacing Settings Explained

LibreOffice Writer provides a comprehensive suite of line spacing controls that allow you to adjust the vertical distance between lines of text within a paragraph. This guide explains all available line spacing options in LibreOffice Writer—including standard presets, Proportional, Leading, and other advanced metrics—so you can format your documents with precision.

To access these settings, select your text, right-click, and choose Paragraph > Paragraph, or navigate to Format > Paragraph from the top menu, then open the Indents & Spacing tab.

Standard Preset Options

LibreOffice Writer includes standard pre-configured line spacing options:

• Single: Applies the standard default spacing based on the selected font size.
• 1.15 Lines: Increases standard single spacing by 15 percent, offering a modern, readable appearance commonly used in business documents.
• 1.5 Lines: Sets the distance between lines to one and a half times the height of single spacing.
• Double: Sets the line spacing to twice the height of single spacing, standard for academic manuscripts and draft reviews.

Advanced and Custom Line Spacing Options

For granular layout control, Writer offers four customizable spacing behaviors selectable in the Line Spacing dropdown:

Proportional

The Proportional setting allows you to define spacing as a percentage of the font’s default line height. When selected, an input box appears next to the dropdown: * Entering 100% yields standard single spacing. * Entering 200% creates double spacing. * Values below 100% condense the lines closer together, while values above 100% expand them proportionally regardless of font size changes.

Leading

The Leading setting defines an exact measurement added to the default font height. Instead of replacing default spacing, it inserts extra vertical padding between lines: * You specify a value in points (pt), centimeters (cm), or inches (in). * For example, setting leading to 3 pt adds exactly 3 points of blank space between the bottom of one line and the top of the next.

At Least

The At Least setting defines a minimum threshold for line spacing: * You set a specific measurement (such as 14 pt). * Writer will never let the line spacing drop below this measurement. * If a line contains a larger font or an inline image, Writer automatically expands the spacing for that line to prevent overlapping.

Fixed

The Fixed setting forces a strict, unchanging distance between the baselines of consecutive lines of text: * You specify an exact value (such as 12 pt). * Unlike “At Least,” this value does not adjust if larger characters or objects are inserted. * If the fixed value is smaller than the font size, characters on adjacent lines will overlap.