Compiler adding extra margin when exporting

Hi y’all,

I am just trying to export a single text section as a pdf.

However, when I do, the exported pdf results in 2 extra paragraph breaks on the first page.

When I turn on show invisibles there is no paragraph breaks above the first line.

I know there there is exactly two because when I export it to docx I have to delete the two paragraph breaks.

In my compiler settings in Section Layouts, I only have “Text Section” - “Text” selected as that is all I need, as it’s a basic college essay.
I have override text and notes formatting unchecked. Title Options is blank. New Pages padding is at zero. Prefix and suffix are blank. Settings I have as do not change.

In Page Settings I have my margins all at 1 inch. None of the options are checked. Header and Footer Text is all empty.

In Project Settings, in Formatting, nothing is checked.

My page setup, I have my margins all at one inch.

My print settings, I have everything unchecked, except for “Text”.

I am trying to figure out what I am missing.

Thanks for your help!

To help us help you, are you on Mac or Windows?

:slight_smile:
Mark

Ah totally left that out, windows:)

Hi.
Perhaps look in your compile format if maybe you have useless carriage returns in the Title prefix or suffix. (?)

Look in the section’s prefix, just the same.

[EDIT] Reading again, you seem to say it only occurs on the first page. (?)
Perhaps it is leftover junk from an otherwise empty Front Matter?

Also make sure you don’t have a fake front matter.

These “before” pages have settings of their own for the header and footer.

1 Like

I’ve double checked all of those settings and I still get two extra lines above my first written line when I compile.

image


Just so you know, there IS a bug that adds unsolicited/useless extra space at the top of every sections, under windows, but it does so only from the second section and on (not for the very first one), and, to my knowledge, not to a PDF file.

I currently have that setting at zero as well

If you want to export your format and PM it to me, I may find the time to investigate it.

image

Or, if it doesn’t contain any sensitive info, you may post it directly here, anyone could have a go at it.

1 Like

Text Selection.scrformat (11.8 KB)

Looks like I get the same space at the top of pages on all pages (hard to tell, I’m getting old and I don’t use/have a PDF editor) :

image

image

Is this not a match to what you get? (Except for the title being present, of course. I turned it back on at my end. Just to make things easier to see and gauge.)

. . . . . . . . .

Else: I see you DO have a different header/footer for first pages set…
image

“…starts on page 2”
(But that’s not it, all headers are empty.)

. . . . . . . .

BAM!

If this is not what is wrong, I don’t know. I’ve looked pretty much everywhere and that’s what I’d bet on.
Your unwanted carriage return is there.

I take it you use the same section type for all of your documents (?) … That would indeed justify your issue only happening on page 1.

Change “Single Return” for “Custom” and leave the custom area on the right of the dropdown empty.
That should do it.

. . . . . . . .
[EDIT] The more I think of it, the more I think I am completely off the mark. I don’t think that setting should add a carriage return for the very first section… I never thought of it before today.

If I compile to a docx file I still have 2 paragraph lines above the first line.
(I really appreciate you going the extra mile to figure this out).

Could be the other app forcing a header even though Scrivener doesn’t itself create one.

(I am taking guesses at this point.)

I tried it on a different text (file?) (still learning the vernacular for it) and I do not have the 2 spaces above, so it’s just on that specific text file.

I copied the text into a new text file (index card thing) and I still get the same issue.

I have double spaced my text file for this specific file, I’m now just confused why the double spacing is adding space above the first line after compiling, but it doesn’t show when I’m editing the text file.

That is not a body text area. That is the Synopsis space. (?)
You got me confused, here. Since your compile format doesn’t include synopsis…

Sorry, I meant I created a new synopsis and then I double click into it so I can write. So I right click into empty space in my folder then I click add new text item and then I double click on that to open the editor.

OK. If the empty lines are not in the editor, then it is either your title that has an issue, or something at compile.

Try this:
Duplicate the problematic document so that it is in the binder twice.
Compile as if this is what you want.
See if there is a difference between the duplicates in the compiled output.

There isn’t a difference. When I compile to pdf, I can see there’s a much larger top on the first page, which if I compile to docx, it shows up as two paragraph breaks.

My question is:
If you clone the document, is the unwanted space also present at the top of the second copy of it ?

Yes

none in the screenshot, only in the exported files