Typography

text-indent

Offset the first formatted line without moving the rest of the paragraph.

Overview

ClassDeclarations
text-indent:<offset>text-indent: <offset>;

Examples

Indent the first line

text-indent:2em offsets only the first formatted line. At this example’s 16px font size, that is 32px; later lines keep the original starting edge.

Indent the first line
Follow the first line’s starting edge. Later lines retain their normal position inside the same paragraph.
<!-- text-indent:0 --><p id="target" class="w:240px max-w:100% m:0 font-md leading:24px text-indent:0">A clear reading rhythm gives each idea room to breathe. Keep the measure comfortable and let the content set the pace.</p>
<!-- text-indent:2em --><p id="target" class="w:240px max-w:100% m:0 font-md leading:24px text-indent:2em">A clear reading rhythm gives each idea room to breathe. Keep the measure comfortable and let the content set the pace.</p>
Generated CSS
@layer utilities {  .text-indent\:2em {    text-indent: 2em  }}

Use spacing values

Use a shared spacing value when the indent should follow the interface scale. Here text-indent-md resolves to the preset’s 1rem spacing token.

Use spacing values
Follow the first line’s starting edge. Later lines retain their normal position inside the same paragraph.
<!-- text-indent-md --><p id="target" class="w:240px max-w:100% m:0 font-md leading:24px text-indent-md">A clear reading rhythm gives each idea room to breathe. Keep the measure comfortable and let the content set the pace.</p>

Reset at a breakpoint

Reset the first-line indent when the viewport reaches sm. The paragraph keeps a fixed reading measure so only the indentation changes.

Reset at a breakpoint
text-indent: Reset at a breakpoint controls
Follow the first line’s starting edge. Later lines retain their normal position inside the same paragraph.
<!-- 32px indent · reset at sm --><p id="target" class="w:240px max-w:100% m:0 font-md leading:24px text-indent:2em text-indent:0@sm">A clear reading rhythm gives each idea room to breathe. Keep the measure comfortable and let the content set the pace.</p>

Apply conditionally

This example adds a 1rem indent at sm on screen and restores zero indentation in print. Resize the preview or open its print preview.

Apply conditionally
text-indent: Apply conditionally controls
Follow the first line’s starting edge. Later lines retain their normal position inside the same paragraph.
<!-- Screen indent · print reset --><p id="target" class="w:240px max-w:100% m:0 font-md leading:24px text-indent:0 text-indent:0@print text-indent-md@screen@sm">A clear reading rhythm gives each idea room to breathe. Keep the measure comfortable and let the content set the pace.</p>

Margin moves the block and padding insets all its lines. Neither is equivalent to a first-line indent.



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