Typesetting / Letter-Resized Paragraph Justification

[Ken]

Is there a way to justify whole paragraphs of text so there are no extra spaces between words. This can be done on MS Word using the WordArt tool, which automatically resizes the letters. Unfortunately, WordArt only allows one line at a time to be done, so to do several paragraphs would take a long time, and I'd also be unable to alter the text without doing the whole thing over. Thanks in advance. (I'm guessing there's some text software program that might enable this to be done.)

[Williebee]

Not certain I understand what you are asking. Let me try rephrasing -- Are you wanting to justify blocks of text (paragraphs, a page?) and have it not have large sections of spacing between words inside those blocks?

Oh, and what version of Word are we talking about here?

ETA: MSWord doesn't do "extra gaps" by default. (Neither does OpenOffice, btw.)
This (http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070914053043AAwz17T) might be a source for your answer.

[Ken]

... oops; should've mentioned the version of Word I have.
It's MS Word 2002.

Not certain I understand what you are asking. Let me try rephrasing -- Are you wanting to justify blocks of text (paragraphs, a page?) and have it not have large sections of spacing between words inside those blocks?

Oh, and what version of Word are we talking about here?

ETA: MSWord doesn't do "extra gaps" by default. (Neither does OpenOffice, btw.)
This (http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070914053043AAwz17T) might be a source for your answer.

Thanks Williebee; on my way to check out the link.
Yep; I am trying to do what you say. When I justify text on my version of Word I get extra spaces between words. It looks like this:

This.. is.. a.. sample.. of.. what ..text looks ..like ..when
I justify it using the version of MS Word that I now have.

I'd like the text to
look like this when
it's justified; even
without any extra
spaces btn. words

[Georganna Hancock]

No. You can't have it both ways, if you want the lines to extend from margin to margin; there must be some extra space somewhere. This isn't typesetting.

However, if you use the Block Quote with full justification (which is what you really mean, I think) the "extra" spaces will be less noticeable.

Of course, you could overcome this "disadvantage" of desktop publishing in MS Word by using a more expensive layout program, like one for book designers. Quark InDesign.

[Ken]

Quark InDesign. Sounds expensive, sigh. Will look into it though. Thanks!
Think I'm going to try to get in contact with a book designer (at a publishing house?), if possible, and ask them for suggestions.
Block Quote sounds promising too. Never heard of it. Off to do some googling.

[Medievalist]

No. Don't go to Quark. Seriously. Ken, email me to tell me what you want to do.

Quark is expensive, it uses a hardware dongle, and every version is pretty much incompatible with the previous version. IndDesign is much more reasonable, but honestly, you might not need either.

email: lisa at digitalmedievalist.com

[Ken]

Thanks Medi :-)
On my way to do so.

[annew]

I'd ask why you want that... you're talking about proportional spacing. It is a typesetting term and Quark and Frame and probably some others will do it at a big cost... but again, what are you trying to accomplish?

If it's an ebook or an article for the web it's totally not necessary, and in fact I do books over at lulu.com without it.

There are some studies which I can't find at the moment that say ragged right, which gets you even spacing between words, but not an even right edge... like here, is more readable because the eye likes regular spaces and with proportional you tend to get rivers of space drifting down the page.