Best Resume Line Spacing: 1.0 vs 1.15 (With Examples)

Spacing isn’t just aesthetic — it’s functional. Recruiters scan resumes quickly; clear vertical spacing guides the eye through headings, achievements, and dates. Poor spacing leads to visual noise: bullets that run together, responsibilities hidden under dense paragraphs, or header lines that appear disconnected. That reduces comprehension and lowers your chances of making it past initial skim. From the ATS perspective, spacing affects how your resume converts to plain text. Extra manual line breaks or inconsistent spacing can jumble sections when parsed, which means keyword matches or job titles might not be recognized.

Practical takeaway:

• Human readers: Use spacing to create a reading rhythm. Aim for short blocks (2–4 lines) separated by clear section breaks.
• ATS readers: Avoid complex multi-column layouts and excessive blank lines that could insert strange separators in parsed text.

There isn’t a single universal setting, but proven defaults work across industries. Use these expert settings as a starting point and adjust by content length and layout.

Recommended settings:

• Body text: 10.5–12 pt font with 1.08–1.15 line spacing. This keeps text compact but readable.
• Bulleted lists: 1.08 line spacing with 6–8 pt spacing after each bullet. That prevents bullets from clumping and improves scanner flow.
• Section headings: 12–14 pt (or +2 pt over body); spacing before: 8–12 pt; spacing after: 4–6 pt. This visually separates sections.
• Dates/headers in a row: Use no additional spacing within the row, but add 6–8 pt after the row.

Step-by-step in Word (example):

1. 1Select all text: Ctrl+A.
2. 2Home > Paragraph > Line spacing: Set to Exactly or Multiple depending on font (start with Multiple 1.08).
3. 3Set 'Before' and 'After' spacing: Body: Before 0 pt, After 4–6 pt. Headings: Before 10 pt, After 6 pt.
4. 4For bullets: Right-click bullet list > Adjust List Indents > Set Space After: 6 pt.

Why not single spacing? Single often looks cramped at smaller font sizes. 1.08–1.15 gives subtle breathing room without wasting space. If you must fit a lot on one page, reduce margins or trim content before collapsing spacing below 1.05 — but test readability.

Different resume lengths demand different spacing strategies. Your goal: present all necessary info while keeping sections scannable.

One-page resume tips:

• Keep 1.08–1.15 line spacing for body text. Reduce to 1.02 only in extreme cases.
• Use 8–10 pt space after section headings to separate blocks.
• Tighten bullet spacing to 4–6 pt after each bullet if you must squeeze content.
• Remove filler lines (e.g., long objective statements)

Two-page resume tips:

• Comfortably use 1.15–1.2 spacing to increase readability across pages.
• Use consistent header spacing on both pages so the layout feels unified.
• Avoid orphaned bullets: ensure at least two bullets remain with a job entry when a page break happens.

Real-world scenario: A marketing manager upgraded from a cramped one-page with 9 pt font and single spacing to a two-page using 11 pt font and 1.15 spacing. The new layout highlighted campaign metrics and gained more recruiter callbacks because achievements were easier to scan. Always prioritize clarity over cramming.

Applicant Tracking Systems parse resume content into fields. Errant line breaks, tables, and inconsistent spacing can misplace data. Follow these spacing best practices to keep your resume ATS-friendly.

ATS-friendly spacing checklist:

• Avoid multi-column layouts and text boxes; use left-aligned single-column with consistent spacing rules.
• Don’t rely on multiple hard returns for visual spacing — use paragraph spacing settings (Before/After) instead. Hard returns become extra blank lines in plain text.
• Use single blank line between sections — not multiple blank lines.
• For bullet lists, use standard bullets (•) or hyphens (-) and keep one line per bullet. Bullets spanning multiple lines should use hanging indents rather than manual tabs.

Plain-text test (actionable):

1. 1Save your resume as a .txt file.
2. 2Open and scan for odd headers, split lines, or duplicated separators (e.g., =====).
3. 3If you see broken job titles or dates on separate lines, return to your formatted file and remove manual line breaks; use paragraph spacing to separate.

Seeing is believing. Here are three concise before/after examples and step-by-step fixes you can apply in 10 minutes.

Quick fixes — 10-minute checklist:

1. 1Change body line spacing to 1.08–1.15.
2. 2Add 6–8 pt space after bullets, 8–12 pt before headings.
3. 3Convert tables to single-column format and test .txt.
4. 4Save and review a .pdf and .txt version for readability and parsing.

These quick actions often convert a forgettable resume into one that’s easy to scan and parse.

Spacing works with other layout elements. If you optimize spacing but keep poor fonts or margins, your resume still may underperform. Use these advanced tips to create harmony.

Fonts and spacing:

• Choose professional sans-serif (Calibri, Arial, Inter) or serif (Georgia) fonts. Some fonts require higher line spacing — test and adjust.
• Example: Calibri at 11 pt looks good at 1.08 spacing; Times New Roman at 11 pt often needs 1.15.

Margins and breathing room:

• Default margins: 0.5–1.0 inches. Narrow margins (0.5”) allow more content but reduce perceived whitespace. Use narrower margins only to keep content on one page after trimming nonessential info.

Visual hierarchy:

• Use consistent header sizes and spacing before/after to guide the eye.
• Emphasize job titles or metrics with bold, not larger font size alone; large sizing requires more spacing adjustments.

What if you need to cram? Prioritize achievements over responsibilities. Remove dated skills and focus on metrics. You can reduce spacing slightly (to 1.03–1.05) as a last resort.

Tool tip: Use Resumize.ai to run automatic layout optimizations. It suggests spacing and font adjustments based on role and ATS requirements, helping you implement these advanced tips in minutes.