How to control widows and orphans in PDF output?

This forum is for all Flare issues related to PDF, eBook, Microsoft Word, Adobe FrameMaker, XPS, and XHTML book targets.
Post Reply
KCinColorado
Propeller Head
Posts: 40
Joined: Tue Mar 20, 2012 11:00 am

How to control widows and orphans in PDF output?

Post by KCinColorado »

I'm using the latest version of Flare (11.1) and producing PDF (and HTML5) output. I have paragraph styles for noBreakInside and noBreakAfter, which are sometimes honored and sometimes not. The PDF output has several paragraphs or list elements where the last line (often a single word and period) is placed at the top of the next page, even though there is plenty of room for that last line on the page where the rest of the paragraph resides. When I apply my noBreakInside class, it's ignored. I checked the orphan and widow settings for the top-level p class and they are both set to 2 (default). Doesn't that mean a minimum of 2 lines is required at the bottom and top of pages when a paragraph is split across pages? So if I have a 5-line paragraph, shouldn't Flare be taking the last 2 lines to the next page rather than only one? Very frustrating trying to get the PDF pagination to look right. Any advice appreciated.
MGerber
Jr. Propeller Head
Posts: 9
Joined: Mon Mar 27, 2017 6:23 am
Location: Northern Germany

Re: How to control widows and orphans in PDF output?

Post by MGerber »

Hello KCinColorado,

Have you ever had the chance to get a resolution for this issue? Almost 4 years later, I am struggling with the same problem (MadCap Flare 2017 r3).

Thanks for any feedback
Mark
doc_guy
Propellus Maximus
Posts: 1979
Joined: Tue Nov 28, 2006 11:18 am
Location: Crossroads of the West
Contact:

Re: How to control widows and orphans in PDF output?

Post by doc_guy »

I personally had to give up worrying about it in my PDF outputs. It simply wouldn't work like I thought it should. So I quit caring. I know this is not a helpful response. Sorry.
Paul Pehrson
My Blog

Image
Psider
Propellus Maximus
Posts: 811
Joined: Wed Jul 06, 2011 1:32 am

Re: How to control widows and orphans in PDF output?

Post by Psider »

I wonder if the paragraph bottom padding or margin is interacting badly with the footer top padding or margin? So the CSS "avoid breaks" evaluates as "it's fine", but the convert to pdf part goes "nuh uh" and pushes that last line to the next page.

Not sure that makes any sense, but maybe it gives someone some ideas to play with.
MGerber
Jr. Propeller Head
Posts: 9
Joined: Mon Mar 27, 2017 6:23 am
Location: Northern Germany

Re: How to control widows and orphans in PDF output?

Post by MGerber »

Thank you, both, for your feedback.

I have the ambition to dig into it, however these days I must finish some projects first. I will report here as soon as I have news about this issue (may take some weeks).

Mark
Post Reply