Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

This thread was closed and archived. Please ask a new question if you need help.

I can't get to write emails in single spacing. None of the answers from a previous similar question work for me.

  • 20 replies
  • 6 have this problem
  • 1 view
  • Last reply by Matt

more options

Please tell me how to type a simple email in single spacing. Every email I type is in double spacing - SO annoying!

Please tell me how to type a simple email in single spacing. Every email I type is in double spacing - SO annoying!

Chosen solution

Can you provide a screenshot of what you call double spacing, please?

Read this answer in context 👍 1

All Replies (20)

more options

Chosen Solution

Can you provide a screenshot of what you call double spacing, please?

more options

Hello Zenos. Went to take a screenshot now & suddenly I can type in single spacing, so my problem is solved. I have no idea how or why it changed! Thanks so much. Colleen (7219741)

more options

Are you pressing enter to force line breaks in arbitrary locations that you think they should appear. Just as would have been done in the past with a typewriter. That is the most common cause of the so called double spacing and the bad habit has been reinforced by poor product design in Microsoft office..

Your email will wrap when it gets to the end of the line, regardless of where the end of line is, it might be 30 characters in on a phone display or 80 or more on a larger full screen desktop machine. The only time you should press the enter key is to start a new paragraph, which should normally be double spaced as you are saying everything you type is.

more options

I understand having the Enter key double space between paragraphs but I want to use the Enter key at times on a short line without double spacing. If I have to use the Enter key twice between paragraphs, that's OK. Also, my signature in html format shows up on a new email double spaced and I didn't set it up to do that when I typed it in.

more options

jbacinti said

I understand having the Enter key double space between paragraphs but I want to use the Enter key at times on a short line without double spacing.

Sure you do. My children like to run around with screwdrivers in their hands. I try to teach them the error of their ways. Before one of them gets iompaled on one. You however want to do it your way, despite being aware it is the wrong way.

If I have to use the Enter key twice between paragraphs, that's OK. Also, my signature in html format shows up on a new email double spaced and I didn't set it up to do that when I typed it in.

Your HTML signature is badly formatted. Formatting anything where you use returns is poor form. Just as using the space key will never get a good looking document. But the developers made allowances for those that will do it their way despite the best laid plans and education programs.

The Thunderbird 45 what is new states

The Thunderbird composition window now functions more like a word processor in that pressing the "Enter" key inserts a new paragraph, pressing "Shift+Enter" inserts a new line. This new behavior can be switched off in the Tools > Options > Composition > General tab.

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/new-thunderbird-45

For those using the limited and difficult to explain app menu on the tool bar, you would start with the options menu entry, not tools.

I suggest you change the setting as described.

more options

I was able to change to single line spacing. Thanks.

How should I format my HTML signature?

John

more options

jbacinti said

I was able to change to single line spacing. Thanks. How should I format my HTML signature? John

While they can be a pain in Thunderbird, being somewhat cumbersome, a table is the best way to go for enforcing short line lengths and signatures in general. With multiple rows and columns to play with to get things looking nice you can enforce an appearance without relying on "structures" that will change dramatically when viewed on another device.

Interestingly HTML has paragraph breaks and line breaks. But the keyboard has but one Enter key. Pressing enter introduced a paragraph break. So where line breaking is important and other approaches are non trivial, inserting a < br > tag into the HTML gets a best of both worlds result. In Write. Use the insert menu to insert HTML and enter < br > as the HTML and press insert.

As the forum appears to interpret my tags and make the text start a new line that is an < followed by a BR followed by a >

Further information on line breaks and demonstrations of them in use https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTML/Element/br https://www.w3schools.com/tags/tag_br.asp

more options

This is my file saved as a Firefox HTML file:

John Augustin
Phone: 513-984-0425
Cell: 513-470-1603
Email: [email protected]

This how it appears on a Thunderbird new email:

John Augustin

Phone: 513-984-0425

Cell: 513-470-1603

Email: [email protected]

What am I doing wrong?

more options

Correction. This is the HTML file:

John Augustin
Phone: 513-984-0425
Cell: 513-470-1603
Email: [email protected]

more options

When I copy if from OpenOffice Writer and paste here, there are no line breaks and it is not double spaced. It gets that way when I paste it here.

more options

Matt said

jbacinti said
I understand having the Enter key double space between paragraphs but I want to use the Enter key at times on a short line without double spacing.

Sure you do. My children like to run around with screwdrivers in their hands. I try to teach them the error of their ways. Before one of them gets iompaled on one. You however want to do it your way, despite being aware it is the wrong way.

If I have to use the Enter key twice between paragraphs, that's OK. Also, my signature in html format shows up on a new email double spaced and I didn't set it up to do that when I typed it in.

Your HTML signature is badly formatted. Formatting anything where you use returns is poor form. Just as using the space key will never get a good looking document. But the developers made allowances for those that will do it their way despite the best laid plans and education programs.

The Thunderbird 45 what is new states

The Thunderbird composition window now functions more like a word processor in that pressing the "Enter" key inserts a new paragraph, pressing "Shift+Enter" inserts a new line. This new behavior can be switched off in the Tools > Options > Composition > General tab.

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/new-thunderbird-45

For those using the limited and difficult to explain app menu on the tool bar, you would start with the options menu entry, not tools.

I suggest you change the setting as described.

Matt said

jbacinti said
I understand having the Enter key double space between paragraphs but I want to use the Enter key at times on a short line without double spacing.

Sure you do. My children like to run around with screwdrivers in their hands. I try to teach them the error of their ways. Before one of them gets iompaled on one. You however want to do it your way, despite being aware it is the wrong way.

If I have to use the Enter key twice between paragraphs, that's OK. Also, my signature in html format shows up on a new email double spaced and I didn't set it up to do that when I typed it in.

Your HTML signature is badly formatted. Formatting anything where you use returns is poor form. Just as using the space key will never get a good looking document. But the developers made allowances for those that will do it their way despite the best laid plans and education programs.

The Thunderbird 45 what is new states

The Thunderbird composition window now functions more like a word processor in that pressing the "Enter" key inserts a new paragraph, pressing "Shift+Enter" inserts a new line. This new behavior can be switched off in the Tools > Options > Composition > General tab.

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/new-thunderbird-45

For those using the limited and difficult to explain app menu on the tool bar, you would start with the options menu entry, not tools.

I suggest you change the setting as described. </bloc </p>

more options

Sure you do. My children like to run around with screwdrivers in their hands. I try to teach them the error of their ways. Before one of them gets iompaled on one. You however want to do it your way, despite being aware it is the wrong way.

Don't compare us to your children! Some of us are technologically-challenged adults :)

more options

This forum's software recognises and acts on html, so it's quite tricky to show folk how it's done.

A screen shot of the raw code might be a safer bet.

more options

I'm not sure I understand what you're asking for. However I just moved my signature file from the old PC to the new and while it works on the old one, it does not on the new; same file. I've checked all the relevant settings on both to match them up and still nothing.

jbacinti

more options

I also did the
in Options / Insert / HTML but couldn't find a way to save it as a file.

more options

I have put some spaces in the source to it can be seen. Now we can see the linefeed characters you pasted.

John Augustin < br > Phone: 513-984-0425 < br > Cell: 513-470-1603 < br > Email: [email protected]

Look out for an email with attached signature text with the implicit paragraphs inserted by Libre office removed. It now appears as a long line which when inserted formats correctly. Pressing return inserts those paragraph characters which move in the paste.

more options

Thanks Matt. I've given up, so not worry. My appreciation though.

more options

7219741 said

Thanks Matt. I've given up, so not worry. My appreciation though.

Did you get the email? I really love being told you have given up, after I sent you a solution.

more options

Matt said

jbacinti said
I understand having the Enter key double space between paragraphs but I want to use the Enter key at times on a short line without double spacing.

Sure you do. My children like to run around with screwdrivers in their hands. I try to teach them the error of their ways. Before one of them gets iompaled on one. You however want to do it your way, despite being aware it is the wrong way.

If I have to use the Enter key twice between paragraphs, that's OK. Also, my signature in html format shows up on a new email double spaced and I didn't set it up to do that when I typed it in.

Your HTML signature is badly formatted. Formatting anything where you use returns is poor form. Just as using the space key will never get a good looking document. But the developers made allowances for those that will do it their way despite the best laid plans and education programs.

The Thunderbird 45 what is new states

The Thunderbird composition window now functions more like a word processor in that pressing the "Enter" key inserts a new paragraph, pressing "Shift+Enter" inserts a new line. This new behavior can be switched off in the Tools > Options > Composition > General tab.

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/new-thunderbird-45

For those using the limited and difficult to explain app menu on the tool bar, you would start with the options menu entry, not tools.

I suggest you change the setting as described.

The post about how double spacing is correct when using the enter key tried to be humorous but came across as condescending instead. I use bullets and numbers a lot and they do not require double spacing; I use them because they can help streamline complicated information (much the way ">" does for navigation, i.e., tools>options>composition>genera).

more options
The post about how double spacing is correct when using the enter key tried to be humorous but came across as condescending instead. I use bullets and numbers a lot and they do not require double spacing; I use them because they can help streamline complicated information (much the way ">" does for navigation, i.e., tools>options>composition>genera).

You have your opinion, I have mine. At this point I have no idea why you posted other than to gratify yourself. You have added nothing to the original posters desire to do it their way. If you have a question, I suggest you ask it.