# Justified text or ragged right edge? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 15, 2011, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/justified-text-or-ragged-right-edge/571428 "2011-02-15T06:53:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2011, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/justified-text-or-ragged-right-edge/571428/1 "2011-02-15T06:53:17Z")
The popular opinion of designers is to use ragged right edges on text, that is the left side of the paragraph is straight and lined up, while the right side is not, with spacing between letters and words standardised. However, books, magazines, and newspapers all use justified text, which has straight edges on both sides. They can do this for two reasons - it works better when the columns are narrow with only a few words per row; and they have the power to hyphenate correctly, which allows them to adjust spacing should they need to. The argument goes that it’s easier to read, especially for those who have difficulty reading, when the spacing is regular. It’s also easier to keep track of what line you’re on when they are distinguished by length. However, I maintain that text that has 12 to 18 words per line looks perfectly fine, even nicer, when justified, and the spacing is less of an issue at that level. What say you? There are some examples on [this page](http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2007/07/16/why-latex-is-superior-to-office/). Plus I use justified text on [my blog](http://guanolad.blogspot.com/2011/02/back-in-saddle.html) (you don’t have to actually read it, it’s not very interesting). ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2011, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/justified-text-or-ragged-right-edge/571428/2 "2011-02-15T06:57:13Z")
I justify just about everything I print. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2011, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/justified-text-or-ragged-right-edge/571428/3 "2011-02-15T07:05:34Z")
I hate reading newspaper articles where a word or two end up s t r e t c h e d o u t so that the text can be justified. If you need columns, fine but I really don’t care whether you justify or left align, just please don’t stretch the words. ---
**Author:** ![SecondJudith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5ac83/32.png) [@SecondJudith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SecondJudith)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2011, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/justified-text-or-ragged-right-edge/571428/4 "2011-02-15T08:58:04Z")
As a newspaper sub-editor, I think justified text is a hassle. You end up having to reword sentences so they don’t stretch (like **Inner Sticker** points out) or end up crammeduptightlikethis so they’re unreadable. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2011, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/justified-text-or-ragged-right-edge/571428/5 "2011-02-15T10:02:48Z")
If it is meant to be printed, such as a final report, or a business letter, I like justified. In all other cases, I use ragged right. ---
**Author:** ![GSV\_Consolation\_of\_Dreams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f1d935/32.png) [@GSV\_Consolation\_of\_Dreams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GSV_Consolation_of_Dreams)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2011, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/justified-text-or-ragged-right-edge/571428/6 "2011-02-15T11:46:59Z")
Left aligned, ragged right edge for me. I hate mangled spacing and I hate seeing words split by hyphens even more. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2011, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/justified-text-or-ragged-right-edge/571428/7 "2011-02-15T12:55:03Z")
Always justified. Even when I’m translating right-aligned texts, I justify. It just looks more professional. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2011, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/justified-text-or-ragged-right-edge/571428/8 "2011-02-15T13:27:55Z")
Justified may look prettier when you’re just gazing at the page as a whole, but for me it does nothing to enhance readability. Weird spacing and excess hyphenation are unnecessary distractions. Give me left-aligned. ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2011, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/justified-text-or-ragged-right-edge/571428/9 "2011-02-15T13:35:41Z")
Left-aligned. And people that center poems that we not originally centered (i.e., 99% of poems) have a special hell waiting for them. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2011, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/justified-text-or-ragged-right-edge/571428/10 "2011-02-15T18:49:10Z")
Left aligned, please. I want as few words hypenated as possible. ---
**Author:** ![Lasciel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e79b87/32.png) [@Lasciel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lasciel)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2011, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/justified-text-or-ragged-right-edge/571428/11 "2011-02-15T19:00:59Z")
Left-aligned. Screw the right edge - it’s the trailing end. No one should care. My inner editorial nazi gets all prickly when spacing isn’t correct and standardized, or when hyphens are used gratuitously. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2011, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/justified-text-or-ragged-right-edge/571428/12 "2011-02-15T19:02:36Z")
Hyphens? At 11-point text on a A4 page (with normal-to-narrow margins), I’ve never needed hyphens. ---
**Author:** ![stretch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a6a055/32.png) [@stretch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stretch)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2011, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/justified-text-or-ragged-right-edge/571428/13 "2011-02-15T19:04:12Z")
Left-aligned. Gah, I hate stretched and scrunched text. ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2011, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/justified-text-or-ragged-right-edge/571428/14 "2011-02-15T20:06:23Z")
If the columns are wide enough, it makes no difference to me whether the text is justified. If they’re too narrow then you get the obvious problems when it’s justified. ---
**Author:** ![overlyverbose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9dc877/32.png) [@overlyverbose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/overlyverbose)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2011, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/justified-text-or-ragged-right-edge/571428/15 "2011-02-15T20:36:21Z")
As a former editor and writer, I hated justified text with a rare passion. It looks like a legal brief. Left-justified (with the ragged right edges) all the way. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2011, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/justified-text-or-ragged-right-edge/571428/16 "2011-02-15T21:36:37Z")
> [@ratatoskK](#): > > If the columns are wide enough, it makes no difference to me whether the text is justified. If they’re too narrow then you get the obvious problems when it’s justified. This is my argument too. So if it makes no difference, I continue, why not pretty up both edges just to make the page/screen look nice? I’ve never used hyphenation on a webpage (I believe it’s possible, though) but it is done in books etc. But popular opinion clearly doesn’t agree with me. An overwhelming majority has a left-aligned preference. ---
**Author:** ![Chopper9760](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cdc98d/32.png) [@Chopper9760](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chopper9760)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2011, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/justified-text-or-ragged-right-edge/571428/17 "2011-02-15T21:54:33Z")
Justified text can be vexing to read what with the hyphenation, cramping, and stretching. I’d rather read left-aligned text but I can understand why newspapers and magazines justify. Slightly off topic: I do a lot of reading online and I adjust the width of my Firefox window pretty regularly to narrow up the text. I can’t stand reading for miles across a long monitor. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2011, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/justified-text-or-ragged-right-edge/571428/18 "2011-02-15T23:29:35Z")
depends how narrow the columns are. I prefer justified for a normal page of text. ---
**Author:** ![Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aji_de_gallina/32/260_2.png) [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aji_de_Gallina)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2011, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/justified-text-or-ragged-right-edge/571428/19 "2011-02-16T00:38:55Z")
Unless I’m using columns, it’s always justified. ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2011, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/justified-text-or-ragged-right-edge/571428/20 "2011-02-16T00:49:51Z")
Justified. For the stodgy engineering documents I write, _everything_ must be orderly. 😉 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/justified-text-or-ragged-right-edge/571428.md?page=2)