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How to change indents and spacing in Google Slides?

Google Slides is one of the most accessible and most efficient programs to access when it comes to slideshow presentations. For beginners, who are not familiar with Google applications, Slides’ basics might not be as apparent as you’d think.

In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to change indentation and spacing, both in the lines and paragraphs.

Indentations

Here’s the basic step-by-step for changing a textbox’s indentation in a Google Slide for those just starting.

  1. Select the textbox you wish to change for the indentations.
  2. Click on Format.
  3. A dropdown menu will appear, and you’ll go down to the option “Align and indent.”
  4. Choose one of the two options: “Increase Indent” or “Decrease indent.” (Increasing will move the textbox to the right, and decreasing it will move it to the left).  
Change line spacing in Google slides

For the more skilled Google Slides user, a more fundamental and direct method of changing a slide’s indentation slide the ruler’s indent markers. You could do this by following these steps:

  1. Click on “View” and go over to the option “Show Ruler.” (In most cases, your ruler will already be visible, and this step will be to double-check). 
How to enable the ruler

2. Then, select the text you wish to move. 

Move text

3. Once your text is selected, slide the left and right tabs on the ruler to their desired locations. This procedure will move the textbox to the spot on the slide you wish it to be.

Line spacing

When you adjust the line spacing within your Google Slides, you’re deciding how far apart the lines are. Here are the necessary steps to adjusting the line spacing in a slide.

  1. Click on “Format” in the toolbar at the top of your screen.
  2. Then choose the “Line Spacing option.”
Line spacing options in Google slides

3. Under “Line spacing,” there are four options: Single, 1.15, 1.5, or Double. Choose the option that you desire to space your lines apart.

Have a specific spacing distance in mind that doesn’t work for any of the four available options?

If you scroll to the bottom of the “Line spacing” dropdown menu, you’ll find an option that says “Custom spacing.” After clicking on this option, another menu will pop up. 

Customization line spacing

Under “Line Spacing,” you can click on the box and enter the precise number value you wish your spacing to be.

Paragraph spacing

When you decide to change a paragraph’s spacing, you’re adjusting the spacing before and after the chosen paragraph. To do this, you follow these steps:

  1. Choose “Format” in the toolbar.
  2. Click on “Line Spacing.”
  3. You can choose “Add space before paragraph” or “Add space after paragraph” under the options.

If you want to enter a customized value for your paragraph’s spacing, click on the “Custom spacing” option under “Line Spacing.” By entering the value in either the “Before” or “After” box, you can customize your paragraph spacing. 

Paragraph spacing in Google slides

With these necessary steps, you now understand how to change line spacing and indentation in Google Slides.

2 comments

  1. Hi Stacy, I’m using the steps you recommend for custom line spacing, but it doesn’t apply. I enter a value (3) and submit it, but the paragraph just stays the same. This is content in a table, if that matters. What am I missing?

    1. Good day, Bob! Yes, in the table the row height will be adjusted by the settings of a particular row (cell). You need to initially change the table settings.

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