Place your pointer in the paragraph you want to adjust or select a type object or frame to change all its paragraphs.
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Adjust text spacing
Last updated on
Jun 2, 2026
Learn how to use justification settings to control spacing in justified and unjustified text in Adobe InDesign.
Control word and letter spacing to create professional typography and avoid compositional problems. Adobe InDesign provides justification settings that let you control word and letter spacing to improve readability and text balance.
Adjust word spacing
Word spacing controls the space between words. Minimum and Maximum values apply to justified text only, while Desired applies to all paragraphs.
Select Type > Paragraph to open the Paragraph panel.
From the Paragraph panel menu select Justification.
In the Word Spacing section, enter values for Minimum, Desired, and Maximum.
Values range from 0% to 1000%, with 100% as the standard space width. The default values are 80% for Minimum, 100% for Desired, and 133% for Maximum.
Select OK.
Adjust letter spacing
Letter spacing controls the distance between letters, including any kerning or tracking values. Negative values tighten letter spacing, while positive values loosen it.
Place your pointer in the paragraph you want to adjust.
Select Type > Paragraph to open the Paragraph panel.
From the Paragraph panel menu, select Justification.
In the Letter Spacing section, enter values for Minimum, Desired, and Maximum.
Values range from –100% to 500%, where 0% adds no extra space and 100% adds a full space width. Avoid values beyond ±3%, which reduces readability.
Select OK.
Flush space for even line distribution
A flush space expands to absorb available space on the last line of a fully justified paragraph, between the last word and an end-of-story character from a decorative font. It behaves like a normal space in non-justified text and expands only when justification is applied.
Before you begin
Verify that your paragraph uses Justify All Lines alignment by selecting it and checking the Paragraph panel or Control panel.
Use the Type tool to select immediately before the end-of-story character on the last line of your justified paragraph.
Select Type > Insert White Space > Flush Space.
The flush space character fills the remaining space on the line, distributing text evenly from the left margin to the end-of-story position.
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