A Paragraph in PageMaker is any amount of text that ends with a paragraph mark, which is created by pressing the ENTER key.

To format a paragraph, use the Paragraph command in the Type menu, or the Control palette.

Adding space above or below paragraphs.

You can increase or decrease the amount of vertical space before or after selected paragraphs:

1. Select the paragraph you want to space.
2. Click on Type, then choose Paragraph to display the Paragraph Specifications dialog box.
3. Under Paragraph space, type the values you want in the Before and After textboxes.

Setting a word or letter spacing.

1. Select one or more paragraphs.
2. Click on Type, then choose Paragraph.
3. In the Paragraph Specifications dialog box, click the Spacing button to display the Spacing Attributes dialog box.
4. Type new values under Word space or Letter space text boxes.
5. Click OK.

Inserting page and column breaks

Sometimes you may want a certain text, paragraph or a new chapter to start at the top of a column or page.

To set a page or column break:

1. Select the paragraph or text you want to move to another column or page.
2. Click on Type, then select Paragraph.
3. In the Paragraph Specifications dialog box, select the Column Break Before checkbox so as to force the paragraph to start at the top of the next column, or select the Page Break Before checkbox to force the paragraph to start at the top of the next page.
4. Click OK.

Changing the Alignment of text in paragraphs.

Method 1.

1. Select all the paragraphs with text whose alignment you want to change.
2. Click on Type, point to Alignment, then click the desired option; Left, Center, right or Justify.

Method 2.

1. Select all the paragraphs.
2. Click on Type, select Paragraph.
3. Click the arrow in the Alignment box, select the desired option; Left, Center, right or Justify, then click OK.