Specifying leading

The amount of space between lines of type is called leading. For Roman type, leading is measured from the baseline of one line of type to the baseline of the next line. The baseline is the invisible line on which most type lies. You can apply more than one leading amount within the same paragraph; however, the largest leading value in a line of type determines the leading value for that line.

You can use other options to set leading for Chinese, Japanese, or Korean type. See Specifying how leading is measured.


5-point type with 6-point leading (left), and with 12-point leading (right)

To change the leading:

In the Character palette, do one of the following:

• Choose the desired leading from the Leading menu .
• Select the existing leading value, and enter a new value.

To change the default auto leading percentage:

1. Display the Paragraph palette.
2. Choose Justification from the palette menu.
3. For Auto Leading, enter a new default percentage.