---
title: "Managing Typography Rules"
source_url: https://support.lucanet.com/en/documentation/disclosure-management/configure-document-disclmgmt/manage-typography-rules
language: en
last_updated: 2026-06-18
---
# Managing Typography Rules

## Overview

The **Spaces** tab in the **Configure document** workspace provides a central overview of the **typography rules**. Typography rules define how certain expressions are treated typographically when a Word file is opened (checked out) – for example, by inserting a non-breaking space between a number and a unit or by suppressing a space between a currency symbol and an amount.

Typography rules are managed per document language and are divided into two areas:

- **Default rules**: predefined rules provided by Lucanet e.g. for German and English.
- **Custom rules**: company- or project-specific rules that you create yourself.

{% warning-box %}
The **Spaces** tab and all associated functions require an **Advanced license** or higher and are available exclusively to **Global Admins** and **Document Admins**.
{% /warning-box %}

## Opening the 'Spaces' tab

To open the **Spaces** tab, proceed as follows:

{% stepper %}
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Open a document and click **Configure document**.
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Open the **Spaces** tab. It is displayed, for example, as follows:

The 'Spaces' tab in the 'Configure document' workspace
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In the **Language-specific rules** list on the left, select the language whose rules you want to manage. The **Default Language** entry refers to the primary language defined under **Language Settings**.
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The rule editor on the right shows the rules for the selected language. The upper area displays the default rules for the selected language, and the lower area displays the custom rules.
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## Activating and deactivating default rules

The following options are available for activating or deactivating default rules:

- **Activate or deactivate default rules globally**: Located in the upper-right area of the rule editor (**Activate default rules**). Activates or deactivates **all** default rules of the selected language at once. When the global toggle is off, the entire **Default rules** area is hidden.
- **Activate or deactivate specific default rules**: Each default rule has its own toggle on the right-hand side of the rule row. Use it to deactivate individual rules that do not match your company's internal requirements.

{% info-box %}
When the **global** toggle is switched back on after a deactivation, all individual toggles are reset to **on**. The system then automatically checks whether there are any conflicts with existing custom rules and automatically deactivates conflicting default rules.
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{% warning-box %}
For languages **without predefined default rules** (for example, French), the global toggle is disabled and grayed out. The tooltip reads: **Default rules are not available for this language** _._
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## Creating custom rules

To create a custom rule, proceed as follows:

{% stepper %}
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In the **Custom rules** area, click **Add custom rule**. The **Add custom rule** dialog appears:

The 'Add custom rule' dialog
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Enter the left (**Left**) and right (**Right**) term of the expression for which you want to create a rule.

- Use the **0-9** button to insert a \[0-9\] placeholder for any digit.
- Use the **a-z** button to insert the \[a-z\] placeholder for any letter.
- Purely numeric entries (for example, 5 or 100) are automatically converted to \[0-9\] when you leave the field.
{% /stepper-step %}
{% stepper-step %}
Under **Rule**, select a **rule type**. The following rule types are available:

| Rule type | Effect | Example |
|---------|---------|---------|
| Coupled | Inserts a normal non-breaking space between Left and Right. | 251 million euros. |
| Tightly coupled | Inserts a non-breaking narrow space between Left and Right. | 100 %. |
| Suppress distance | Removes any space between Left and Right. Especially useful when different rules apply to different languages. | A space that appears between a digit and the percent sign in German should be suppressed in English. |

{% idea-box %}
For **Coupled** and **Tightly coupled** rules, the corresponding character is inserted even if there is no space between the two terms.
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{% /stepper-step %}
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Click **Save**.

If, when you save a custom rule, a default rule with an identical Left/Right combination already exists, a dialog appears in which you can decide how to proceed.
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## Editing or deleting custom rules

To edit or delete custom rules, proceed as follows:

- **Edit a rule**: In the three-dot menu of a custom rule, click **Edit**:

Editing custom rules

The **Edit rule** dialog opens with the existing values. Edit the rule configuration as required.

- **Delete a specific rule**: In the three-dot menu of a custom rule, click **Delete**. Confirm the deletion in the dialog that appears. If this custom rule previously deactivated a default rule with an identical Left/Right combination, the following note appears: **One or more default rules are currently deactivated and may now be reactivated manually.**
- **Delete all rules**: To remove all custom rules of the selected language at once, click **Remove all rules** in the **Custom rules** area. The button appears as soon as at least one custom rule exists.\
\
In the confirmation dialog, click **Delete** to permanently delete all custom rules of the selected language. If there are deactivated default rules with an identical Left/Right combination, the dialog includes a note that these default rules can be reactivated manually after the deletion.

## Applying typography rules

Active typography rules are applied automatically when a Word file is checked out. For more information about the behavior during check-out and about removing the markings in Word, see [Creating and Editing Word Files](https://support.lucanet.com/en/documentation/disclosure-management/work-with-msoffice/configure-word-file.md) and [Ribbons for Disclosure Management](https://support.lucanet.com/en/documentation/disclosure-management/work-with-msoffice/ribbons-disclosure-mgmt.md).