Change Indentation and Spacing in PowerPoint

When it comes to presentations, it is advisable to use as little text as possible.

In order to improve legibility on your slides, you might want to change the space between lines of text and paragraphs. In this Slidesgo School tutorial, we will explain how to edit the indentation and the line spacing.

Changing the First-Line Indentation

Indentation helps you adjust the spacing of the first line of your text.

• Open your presentation in PowerPoint.
• Select the text you want to modify.
• Drag the first-line indentation marker, located on the top ruler, to where you want the text to start (this will only affect the first line).

Pro Tip: If you cannot see the ruler when selecting text, go to the View tab and check “Ruler”.

Changing the Indentation of a Paragraph

The following instructions will allow you to adjust the indentation for the entire paragraph. First, open your presentation in PowerPoint and select a paragraph:

• Go to the Home tab and locate the Paragraph group.
• Click Increase List Level or Decrease List Level.

Using a Hanging Indentation

To apply a hanging indentation, follow these steps:

• Open your presentation in PowerPoint and select the paragraph you want to modify. You may select multiple paragraphs if you wish.
• Go to the Home tab and locate the Paragraph group. Click the little arrow on the lower-right corner of this group.
• Enter the desired value in the “Before text” field, under Indentation. A standard value is usually 1.25 cm or 0.5 inches.
• Next to this, there is the Special indentation option. Click the arrow and select “Hanging”.
• Click OK.

Adjusting the Spacing

Spacing refers to the area above or below a text. You can modify it as follows:

• Go to the Home tab and locate the Paragraph group. Click the little arrow on the lower-right corner of this group.
• To change the spacing, enter the desired values in the “Before” and “After” fields.

Pro Tip: These fields accept both integers and decimals. For a more precise adjustment, use decimals.

Adjusting the Line Spacing

You can modify the line spacing by accessing the same dialog box we’ve already seen in previous steps. Select the text, go to the Home tab, locate the Paragraph group, and click the little arrow on the lower-right corner of this group.

• Go to Line Spacing and click the arrow. You have the following options to choose from:
  • Single (equivalent to a single line)
  • 1.5
  • Double (equivalent to two lines)
  • Multiple (equivalent to three lines)
  • Exactly: This allows you to enter your own custom value in the “At” field.

Once you’ve adjusted the line spacing, click OK to apply the changes.