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When I make styles, I usually use the "space before" setting to separate elements, not the "space after." I'll add the "space after" for headings that need the extra whitespace, but not normal text. Lately, though, I've been working with documents that tend to use the "space after" setting exclusively.
Is there a reason for this? Have I always been doing it wrong? Are there advantages one way or the other? I sometimes have trouble visuallizing how a change to style settings will propagate through an entire document and interact with other elements, so a general rule of thumb might be helpful. If there is one.
