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Margin change

  1. millvillehistoricalsociety
    Member

    I am creating a blog for my class
    on WordPress.com using the Twenty Eleven template. I cannot figure out how to change the margins. This is my first experience using this type of program, and I have to admit that I am not very tech savvy. Actually, beyond the basics such as word processing, emails, PowerPoints, I'm lost. Have I missed instructions on margin change or isn't it possible? Thanks for your help.
    Linda S. Hruza-Jones
    [email redacted]

    The blog I need help with is millvillehistoricalsociety.wordpress.com.

  2. timethief
    Member

    Word processors and blog editors do not work the same way.

    See: http://en.support.wordpress.com/writing-and-formatting-poetry/

    If you are working in the Visual editor, to get single spacing between paragraphs hold the SHIFT key down and simultaneously click ENTER at the end of the paragraph.

    If you are working in the HTML (Text) editor, a single click of ENTER will give you a single-spaced line, and two clicks of ENTER will result in double spaced lines. http://onecoolsitebloggingtips.com/2011/09/13/wordpress-formatting-and-spacing/

    P.S. When you create a new post, always make sure the Format tool is set to Paragraph before you start typing. It's in the Visual editor Row 2 first position "style". See the illustration here http://en.support.wordpress.com/visual-editor/#row-2 If you forget to do that then edit the post, highlight all in the Visual editor, select Paragraph from the Format tool, switch editor to Text then switch back to Visual and click Update.

  3. timethief
    Member

    re: margins
    For more insight read > http://en.forums.wordpress.com/topic/unwanted-left-margin?replies=11

  4. impetusetudiant
    Member

    SHIFT + enter doesn't seem to hold either... Have spent a terrible amount of time trying to force spacing between headers and paragraphs... Really, really.

    One or another method will hold only until a further edit or update is done, then I start from scratch throughout the whole post. I recently had to go through every post to re-insert header images (not related to problem) and this resulted in having to re-force paragraph structure in every post, all over again (using the highlighting / paragraph format technique you've noted; which didn't always hold either).

    Is there anyway to fix this - it is a problem with The Columnist theme coding?

    I also can't figure out how to adjust margins in my posts (particularly those after blockqoutes and at end / bottom of posts)....

  5. impetusetudiant
    Member

    Ops - meant to give you an eg: https://scrapaduq.wordpress.com/2012/11/14/biblio-theatre-and-its-double/

    thnx in advance!

  6. justpi
    Member

    The web standard is one blank line between paragraphs. If you want more than that, you need to use coding. See here:
    http://wpbtips.wordpress.com/2009/06/10/formatting-text-pt-1/

  7. impetusetudiant
    Member

    Thanks - that website is immeasurably helpful!

    The sample page I provided a link for, above, is meant to have only one space between headers / paragraphs, and between paragraphs. Perhaps we are looking at it via differing browsers and seeing different things but... When I look at that page, there are NO spaces between headers and paragraphs, despite the ridiculous amount of effort I've poured into trying to make it so :)

    After rummaging the wpbtips website, though, I'm wondering if this is the result of me first composing the example post (among others on my blog) in MS Word (cutting / pasting into post and then attempting to re-format).... ?

  8. justpi
    Member

    You're welcome (and thanks, since that website is mine).

    a) Never copypaste from Word into the Visual editor: Word isn't designed for that purpose, and it introduces wrong code that messes things up. If you copypaste, paste into the Text editor, so that only the text will be pasted, then continue formatting via the tools of the Visual editor or via coding.

    b) The problem with the h3 headings in the post you linked to has to do with the theme you're using: in many themes headings have a default bottom margin but in The Columnist they don't. Plus, because of Word, each h3 is enclosed in (totally superfluous) div tags: plain divs are always 'neutral' (no margins etc unless you specify otherwise). So first you need to remove all these from around each h3:
    <div>
    </div>

    One way to add margin below each h3 heading is to turn these:
    <h3>
    to
    <h3 style="margin-bottom:14px;">
    (You can change the number, of course, to adjust the amount of blank space.)

    But since you have the Custom Design upgrade, you can change the headings once for all in the CSS editor instead of modifying each separate heading in the post editor (assuming you do want uniform headings throughout your posts).

    You probably need to improve some things in your CSS anyway: the original CSS of the theme specifies bold text for headings, you've cancelled that and turned them to italics via CSS editing, and now you're turning them back to bold in the post and trying to italicise the book titles.

  9. impetusetudiant
    Member

    GeezLouise; Many a tip I've found useful on your site. What a gift you've given us noobs! Thanks again.

    And for your advices above, as well. That's it; just-what-I-need.

    My knowledge of html and css is from a long while ago and, evidently, long since forgotten. So I'm really just bumbling my way through modifications to the code and theme style sheet. Seems easier to modify the post directly, than figure out the css sheet provided ;\

    Though, obviously, I'd save myself a whole s#@t full of time if I could tackle the latter and be done with it.

    I don't suppose you could recommend a source (online) for examples of single post and page style sheets? I pick things up quicker from deconstructing and adapting existing structure (if you get my meaning)?

  10. impetusetudiant
    Member

    - oh - but I should add that part of my issue in doing so with the provided css sheet, relates to my unfamiliarity with php and javascript. I don't understand some of the structural issues the css seems to address...? 'Tis why I ask for eg's of pure html / css instead ;)

  11. justpi
    Member

    You're welcome again!

    "Seems easier to modify the post directly", but global changes are better added in the CSS editor. To put it simply: if you have, say, ten headings in a post and make the same change to all of them in the post instead of the CSS editor, you give the same command ten times instead of once; the more you do this, the more you unnecessarily increase the sourcecode, which means you increase the loading time of your pages (and adversely affect their ranking in Google).

    For CSS editing questions, you need to post in the CSS forum.

  12. impetusetudiant
    Member

    Gah. OK.... I sez reluctantly :)

    Merci merci deja: Appreciate you taking the time!

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