Leading – Adobe InDesign User Manual
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Leading
About leading
The vertical space between lines of type is called leading. Leading is measured from the baseline of one line of text to the baseline of the line
above it. Baseline is the invisible line on which most letters—that is, those without descenders—sit.
The default auto-leading option sets the leading at 120% of the type size (for example, 12-point leading for 10-point type). When auto-leading is in
use, InDesign displays the leading value in parentheses in the Leading menu of the Character panel.
Leading
A. Leading B. Text height C. Larger text size of one word increases leading for that one line.
Change leading
By default, leading is a character attribute, which means that you can apply more than one leading value within the same paragraph. The largest
leading value in a line of type determines the leading for that line. However, you can select a preferences option so that leading applies to the
entire paragraph, instead of to text within a paragraph. This setting does not affect the leading in existing frames.
Change leading of selected text
1. Select the text you want to change.
2. Do any of the following:
In the Character panel or Control panel, choose the leading you want from the Leading menu
.
Select the existing leading value and type a new value.
While creating a paragraph style, change the leading using the Basic Character Formats panel.
If InDesign ignores the leading change, it may be due to Vertical Justification or Align To Baseline Grid being selected. Choose Object > Text
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