### 4.1.4 Flexible vertical spacing `\paper` variables

In most cases, it is preferable for the vertical distances between certain items (such as margins, titles, systems, and separate scores) to be flexible, so that they stretch and compress nicely according to each situation. A number of `\paper` variables (listed below) are available to fine-tune the stretching behavior of these dimensions.

Note that the `\paper` variables discussed in this section do not control the spacing of staves within individual systems. Within-system spacing is controlled by grob properties, with settings typically entered inside a `\score` or `\layout` block, and not inside a `\paper` block. See Flexible vertical spacing within systems.

#### Structure of flexible vertical spacing alists

Each of the flexible vertical spacing `\paper` variables is an alist (association list) containing four keys:

• `basic-distance` – the vertical distance, measured in staff-spaces, between the reference points of the two items, when no collisions would result, and no stretching or compressing is in effect. The reference point of a (title or top-level) markup is its highest point, and the reference point of a system is the vertical center of the nearest `StaffSymbol` – even if a non-staff line (such as a `Lyrics` context) is in the way. Values for `basic-distance` that are less than either `padding` or `minimum-distance` are not meaningful, since the resulting distance will never be less than either `padding` or `minimum-distance`.
• `minimum-distance` – the smallest allowable vertical distance, measured in staff-spaces, between the reference points of the two items, when compressing is in effect. Values for `minimum-distance` that are less than `padding` are not meaningful, since the resulting distance will never be less than `padding.`
• `padding` – the minimum required amount of unobstructed vertical whitespace between the bounding boxes (or skylines) of the two items, measured in staff-spaces.
• `stretchability` – a unitless measure of the dimension’s relative propensity to stretch. If zero, the distance will not stretch (unless collisions would result). When positive, the significance of a particular dimension’s `stretchability` value lies only in its relation to the `stretchability` values of the other dimensions. For example, if one dimension has twice the `stretchability` of another, it will stretch twice as easily. Values should be non-negative and finite. The value `+inf.0` triggers a `programming_error` and is ignored, but `1.0e7` can be used for an almost infinitely stretchable spring. If unset, the default value is set to `basic-distance`. Note that the dimension’s propensity to compress cannot be directly set by the user and is equal to (`basic-distance` - `minimum-distance`).

If a page has a ragged bottom, the resulting distance is the largest of:

• `basic-distance`,
• `minimum-distance`, and
• `padding` plus the smallest distance necessary to eliminate collisions.

For multi-page scores with a ragged bottom on the last page, the last page uses the same spacing as the preceding page, provided there is enough space for that.

Specific methods for modifying alists are discussed in Modifying alists. The following example demonstrates the two ways these alists can be modified. The first declaration updates one key-value individually, and the second completely redefines the variable:

```\paper {
system-system-spacing #'basic-distance = #8
score-system-spacing =
#'((basic-distance . 12)
(minimum-distance . 6)
(stretchability . 12))
}
```

#### List of flexible vertical spacing `\paper` variables

The names of these variables follow the format `upper-lower-spacing`, where `upper` and `lower` are the items to be spaced. Each distance is measured between the reference points of the two items (see the description of the alist structure above). Note that in these variable names, the term ‘`markup`’ refers to both title markups (`bookTitleMarkup` or `scoreTitleMarkup`) and top-level markups (see File structure). All distances are measured in staff-spaces.

Default settings are defined in ‘ly/paper-defaults-init.ly’.

`markup-system-spacing`

the distance between a (title or top-level) markup and the system that follows it.

`score-markup-spacing`

the distance between the last system of a score and the (title or top-level) markup that follows it.

`score-system-spacing`

the distance between the last system of a score and the first system of the score that follows it, when no (title or top-level) markup exists between them.

`system-system-spacing`

the distance between two systems in the same score.

`markup-markup-spacing`

the distance between two (title or top-level) markups.

`last-bottom-spacing`

the distance from the last system or top-level markup on a page to the bottom of the printable area (i.e. the top of the bottom margin).

`top-system-spacing`

the distance from the top of the printable area (i.e. the bottom of the top margin) to the first system on a page, when there is no (title or top-level) markup between the two.

`top-markup-spacing`

the distance from the top of the printable area (i.e. the bottom of the top margin) to the first (title or top-level) markup on a page, when there is no system between the two.