Do not put two spaces after a period when writing on a computer!

This is the first in an occasional series on writing and language.



University of Minnesota Style Manual

Another holdover from typewriter text that should be avoided is using two spaces after a period. Most typefaces on computers today use variable fonts, in which each letter and mark take up just the space they need in contrast to the equal spacing of letters on a typewriter. Although typewriter users customarily inserted two spaces after a period, professional typesetters insert only one space after a period, because the variable font makes two spaces unnecessary and creates too large a gap.