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Denton, thank you! Great explanation. Using Times New Roman or Arial proportional. Call me old-fashioned – or just OLD – but it just doesn’t look right to me without 2 spaces between sentences. It’s funny because my ex-law-partner always made the same changes, and my current boss does the same thing, though we are all roughly the same “vintage”.
Ferret sized!!! Sheesh…they should have specified that online with the item. I’ll be at Petco in Union Square tomorrow. Do you need me to get anything for you? I can see if they have the tunnels.
“I have a technical typing question if anyone knows the answer. Did it become proper (or at least acceptable) at some point to leave only 1 space between sentences rather than 2 spaces? I was always taught to leave 2 spaces. It’s infuriating to correct. ”
Cgar, you have it backwards. But it’s a little more complicated.
The rule depends on whether you are using a proportional font (Times, Arial, Helvetica, etc.), or a mono-spaced font like Courier.
In the old days, when using a typewriter, naturally you were using a mono-spaced font so it was proper to use two spaces after a period. (a mono-space font uses the same width for each character whether it is an ‘i’ or a ‘w’).
In setting type, using proportional fonts, at any time in history, it is proper to use a single space after a period. Pick up any book, magazine, or newspaper from the 1600s on and you will see a single space after a period.
Since these days everyone types on computer, not on a typewriter, unless they are using Courier, American Typewriter, or similar mono-spaced face (and why would you) one space after a period is therefore proper.
The reason for the single-space rule is simple. If the designer (or typist) uses right-justified paragraph text, the computer or typesetter that formats the paragraph will ‘steal’ a bit of space between words and after punctuation in order to line up the right margin. If two periods are used and the computer steals yet a bit more space after the period, it can cause annoying and obvious ‘rivers of white’ up and down the page. Hence, one space.
Back in the early days of the PC, when documents were typed in Word and handed off to a typesetter for proper formatting, the first thing the typesetter did was a search-and-replace to strip out all the double spaces, inch and foot marks to be replaced with curly quotes, and double dashes to be replaced with em-dashes. And so on.
In short, Cgar, times have changed, and so do you!
(Speaking of career changes, as you can see I once had ideas of going into print design, but too many art school students and computer riff-raff had the same idea. No damn money in it anymore)
Denton, thank you! Great explanation. Using Times New Roman or Arial proportional. Call me old-fashioned – or just OLD – but it just doesn’t look right to me without 2 spaces between sentences. It’s funny because my ex-law-partner always made the same changes, and my current boss does the same thing, though we are all roughly the same “vintage”.
Ferret sized!!! Sheesh…they should have specified that online with the item. I’ll be at Petco in Union Square tomorrow. Do you need me to get anything for you? I can see if they have the tunnels.
Wow Denton !
“Typically the a for “around” isn’t used. it’s typically..ROTFLMMFAO”
I know, Dave, but I like to try and differentiate myself. I like your “RAUTSTWMMBF” even better.
I think maybe it’s a Giuliani plot & the tunnel is ferret sized.
How about ROTFPMPLMFAO?
PMP=pissin my pants
Arkady — I think it’s mother. But what do I know, we don’t use language like that in my house. What always had both Ms in it when he posted it.
I thought maybe CGar slipped in an A for attorney, but the mnemonic wouldn’t scan correctly that way. Around sounds good.
“I have a technical typing question if anyone knows the answer. Did it become proper (or at least acceptable) at some point to leave only 1 space between sentences rather than 2 spaces? I was always taught to leave 2 spaces. It’s infuriating to correct. ”
Cgar, you have it backwards. But it’s a little more complicated.
The rule depends on whether you are using a proportional font (Times, Arial, Helvetica, etc.), or a mono-spaced font like Courier.
In the old days, when using a typewriter, naturally you were using a mono-spaced font so it was proper to use two spaces after a period. (a mono-space font uses the same width for each character whether it is an ‘i’ or a ‘w’).
In setting type, using proportional fonts, at any time in history, it is proper to use a single space after a period. Pick up any book, magazine, or newspaper from the 1600s on and you will see a single space after a period.
Since these days everyone types on computer, not on a typewriter, unless they are using Courier, American Typewriter, or similar mono-spaced face (and why would you) one space after a period is therefore proper.
The reason for the single-space rule is simple. If the designer (or typist) uses right-justified paragraph text, the computer or typesetter that formats the paragraph will ‘steal’ a bit of space between words and after punctuation in order to line up the right margin. If two periods are used and the computer steals yet a bit more space after the period, it can cause annoying and obvious ‘rivers of white’ up and down the page. Hence, one space.
Back in the early days of the PC, when documents were typed in Word and handed off to a typesetter for proper formatting, the first thing the typesetter did was a search-and-replace to strip out all the double spaces, inch and foot marks to be replaced with curly quotes, and double dashes to be replaced with em-dashes. And so on.
In short, Cgar, times have changed, and so do you!
(Speaking of career changes, as you can see I once had ideas of going into print design, but too many art school students and computer riff-raff had the same idea. No damn money in it anymore)
I will be RAUTSTWMMBF
“Rolling around under the sheets tonight with my Mexican bf”