Adjusting column width to force line breaks?

[mistercitizen]

I would be interested to hear your opinions on this method of eliminating unsightly line breaks.

A colleague of mine recently did this, claiming that it is OK as long a the adjustment is subtle, and not applied to too many columns in your document.

To only be used as a last resort when the other methods (discussed here:

http://www.tek-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=944355&page=5

) do not work.

Your thoughts? Is this poor typography to adjust column widths?

 

[MarcusStringer]

Are you talking about a single, or double column.
When talking double column always try to keep the bottom lines lining up.
eg.

type type type type type type type type type type type type
type type type type type type type type type type type type
type type type type type type type type type type type type
type type type type type type type type type type type type
type type type type type type

can you post an example of what you talking about.

Can't tell how unsightly is unsightly

Marcus

http://www.midlandtypesetters.com.au

 

[mistercitizen]

Sorry Marcus, I meant my question to be with regards to eliminating widows specifically, rather than just fixing line breaks.

My workmate adjusted the column width to eliminate a widow, when adjusting the tracking, or forcing abreak using soft return, did not work.
He adjusted the width of the column between 10-20mm, which created a reflow of text, thus eliminating the widow.

Is this something which should be avoided?

 

[MarcusStringer]

Hi mistercitizen.
Yes,
never adjust the text box (I guess that's what you mean by column width).
If anything reflows later on you will be in real trouble. It will look bad. You would have to do it to both left and right hand pages. Even then, when people flick (fan) through the book (proof checkers, clients etc) they look for things like that (I know I do, it stands out, compared to all of the other pages).

There is always a way around it without doing that.

Marcus

http://www.midlandtypesetters.com.au

 

[Genimuse]

Small manual tracking or horizontal scale adjustments (max 2% on the scaling, and max 1% is better) are usually how minor adjustments like that are made. When done in very small amounts, the effect is invisible to most everyone's eyes, butcan make all the difference in eliminating a widow or orphan.

I agree that resizing the text box is bad, as it will fail miserably if the text ever reflows. That, and you're affecting multiple paragraphs at the same time, probably, losing a lot of control.

 

[mistercitizen]

Yes marcus, I mean adjusting the text box width.

Thanks for your comments.

With regards for the likely reflow problems which might occur later on as a result of adjusting the text box width - could this be avoided if the text box was not "threaded" to any other box? (therefore working on a section of text in isolation)

And of course, the adjustment to the width of the box would be minimal. I would've thought thais would be preferable to adjustiing the horizontal scaling.

I've been taught to NEVER tyouch the horizontal scaling, as letter forms should not be distorted.

 

[MarcusStringer]

Why would you not thread it? not threading pages will cause more trouble then it's worth, depending on what is your colleague is working on. Book, Mag, etc. you could treat each of these differently, We'll need to know this before we can answer

Marcus

http://www.midlandtypesetters.com.au

 

[Genimuse]

I've been taught to NEVER tyouch the horizontal scaling, as letter forms should not be distorted.

Right, and you should NEVER have widows or orphans. Interesting quandry. I wonder if one of the NEVER rules has to give a bit.

 

[mistercitizen]

In answer to your question Marcus, one might not choose to thread text when a specific paragraph must accompany a particular image - not threading means that this block of text will not shift away from the image.

I guess a magazine is an example of this - in a section with short "tibit" snippets of infomation, which are usually combined with a singular image.

Marcus, my enquiry is not with regards to any one particular project - just a general typographic curiousity on my behalf. I appreciate your considered and informed responses on these matters.

Genimuse, yes, in most instances one has to decide which rules to break, and to what extent.

Adjusting the horizontal scaling by only a few percent would not be noticeable to all but the most keen-eyed typographer. But is this method prefereable to just adjusting the tracking? Or do you mean to combine the two methods (tracking and horizontal scaling)?

I would imagine that a difference of 1-2% in the horizontal scaling would barely make a difference, except on exceptionally long sections of copy.

 

[Genimuse]

Both, as needed. You'd be surprised, though, what a difference a tiny percentage can make.

 

[mistercitizen]

^^^^


OK, I'll try that sometime. I've just never used that method, for the reasons stated.