How to Design Chapter and Section Headings
A section heading is everything at the top of a section, before its text: the space around it, the title, the chapter number on a numbered chapter type, the subtitle and a heading image. Each part has its own panel; this page shows what each one is and where to find it.
- What it is
- The spacing, title, chapter number, subtitle and heading image at the top of a section.
- Where you style it
- Edit Styles › Section Heading Settings and Chapter Type Settings.
- One section different
- Its Options › Section Heading Styles, or Add Heading Image.
- Works in
- EPUB, print-ready PDF and DOCX.
The parts of a section heading
Click a part to see what it is.
The pungent scent of citrus wood oil filled Amber’s nostrils as she wiped down another shelf.
TitleThe section’s name. On a numbered chapter type, Lacuna writes the title for you: the prefix, here “Chapter”, in the title’s style.
From the top, a heading stacks these parts:
| Part | What it is |
|---|---|
| Heading spacing | The space above and below the whole heading: Top and Bottom. |
| Title | The section’s name, with its font, color, underline and alignment. On a numbered chapter type, Lacuna writes it: the prefix, such as Chapter. See Section Titles. |
| Chapter number | On a numbered chapter type only: 1, One, I, or none (Hidden), kept in order. The prefix sits above, beside or below it. See Numbered Chapter Settings. |
| Subtitle | A second line under the title: the name of a numbered chapter type, a narrator. See Section Subtitles. |
| Heading image | A picture with the heading: before the title, between the title and subtitle, after both, or beside them. See Chapter Heading Images. |
A section can also put a picture behind its whole heading: Options › Set Section’s Background › Set Heading Background Image.
Where to style a section heading
| Part | Every section | One section |
|---|---|---|
| Heading spacing | Edit Styles › Heading Spacing | Options › Section Heading Styles › Heading Spacing |
| Title | Edit Styles › Heading Title | Options › Section Heading Styles › Heading Title |
| Chapter number | Edit Styles › Numbered Chapter Settings | No: one format for every numbered chapter type in the book. Its font follows the title. |
| Subtitle | Edit Styles › Heading Subtitle | Options › Section Heading Styles › Heading Subtitle |
| Heading image | Edit Styles › Chapter Heading Images (chapter types only) | Options › Add Heading Image |
How presets work for section headings
A section’s title, subtitle and heading spacing each use a preset group: Default, until you give the section another. Change Default, and every section still in it changes. To make one section look different (your front matter, a prologue), choose another preset in the Preset box at the top of its panel.
The Edit Styles items open the preset the section you are on uses. A green dot beside an item in Section Heading Styles means that section uses a preset other than Default. To make, choose or copy one, see How to use presets for section titles.
Section types that hide their heading
Some front matter opens with no title, as in most printed books. These section types start with their title and subtitle hidden:
| Section type | Is its title shown? |
|---|---|
| Title Page | No. Lacuna builds the whole page; design it in the title page designer. |
| Copyright | No, it’s hidden. Show it below. |
| Dedication | No, it’s hidden. Show it below. |
| Introduction | No, it’s hidden. Show it below. |
| Full Page Image | No. The page is the image. |
Every other section type shows its title and subtitle. A section’s type decides this, not its name: a Default Section titled “Dedication” shows its title.
How to show a hidden section title
-
Open the section, click Options and choose Customize Section Settings.
-
On the Display tab, turn on Show Title in Header, then click Apply.
| Turn on | To show |
|---|---|
| Show Title in Header | The title. On a numbered chapter type, its prefix and number. |
| Show Subtitle in Header | The subtitle. |
| Show Image in Header | The heading image. |
Turn one off to hide that part on any section. Apply to Others copies the switches to other sections. To hide a title in print only, use Customize Print Settings › Content › Hide Title (see per-section print settings).
Questions
How do I turn off chapter numbers?
Choose Hidden in Edit Styles › Numbered Chapter Settings › Format: each numbered chapter type opens on its subtitle. Or change them to the Unnumbered Chapter type.
How do I add a different name below each chapter, for several narrators?
Make it the subtitle: click Rename at the top of the section, type the name in the subtitle box and click Save. Style them all in Heading Subtitle.
Can an image separate the chapter number from its name?
Yes. Set the heading image’s Placement to Between Title & Subtitle.