I would like the first line of a chapter not to be indented

Scrivener
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1

Hello,

I would like the first line of a chapter not to be indented.
I have a PDF file where I want to realize that.
Can someone explain to me how I do that? Please provide a screenshot.

My screenshot shows what I’ve done so far in `

format
format933×539 24 KB

As a beginner I don’t get much further…

Thanks for your time and attention.

2

Basically you are worrying about typesetting details like that in the wrong place. Scrivener isn’t the sort of program where you need to be thinking about design matters like indents if a paragraph gets cut and pasted, or indeed even fonts, while writing.

Most of the compile format presets will handling indents for you automatically, with their default settings, and have numerous controls for tweaking how they work, should you not be pleased with the default settings.

So, to that end, make this area of the screenshot you took look like how you envision an optimal creating writing environment.

1 Like
3

You can do this in compile
open a compile format and duplicate it by double clicking a default format and naming it anything (new compile format, etc).
Now double click this format and will see format designer open, click on text layout and will see the window below with various options on paragraph indent.

2022-06-20_06-39-22
2022-06-20_06-39-22885×564 29.4 KB

1 Like
4

2022-06-20 06_56_36
2022-06-20 06_56_361238×864 48.9 KB

GoalieDad, any idea why my Compile Format Designer doesn’t have the options for indenting that yours does?
-BigJohn

5

I would like to reiterate that the built-in compile formats (like “Manuscript” and “Paperback”) all do this by default. One only needs to dig in and make stuff from scratch with settings if they really want to.

@BigJohn: …any idea why my Compile Format Designer doesn’t have the options for indenting that yours does?

Generally speaking, you should not expect the various settings available in these panes to be the same between very different types of files (Kindle and DOCX, here). Indeed whole panes can be added or removed.

Automatic indent handling is documented in:

  • §24.2.9: word-processor type files and PDF/print. Indent policy can be established by Section Layout, rather than globally.
  • §24.5.3: ebooks. Indent policy is global, unless you go in and tweak the CSS yourself in the CSS compile format pane (the GUI just generates the CSS, so ultimately one has total control and can even ignore most of the front end).
1 Like
7

Ahhh. Thanks Amber. Solves the mystery.

-BigJohn

8

Amber is right options vary by compile format