048: Thou shall not indent a paragraph that starts at the top of a column or page (unless house style say otherwise)

Commentary The rules governing the indentation of paragraphs are invariably linked to either a publisher’s house style or style rules in corporate guidelines, so a degree of flexibility is important. That said, it is essential to be consistent when setting the text, particularly where a new paragraph begins at the top of a column or page. In the books I have designed, body text is indented when a new paragraph begins at the top of a column or page. In corporate literature, however, I find that, because the page grid will often have more columns of text per page, it’s cleaner not to indent at the top of a column. Discuss with the client whether there are any house styles before you begin, as the decision may have already been made for you. PD