When typesetting, flush left means to align text along the left margin. Flush left is also known as left-aligned, left-justified, or ragged left. With flush left alignment, the left edge of the text is even with the left margin, and the right edge is jagged.
Flush left is the most common alignment for body text in print. It is easy to read because the left margin is straight, and the right margin is ragged. The jagged right edge gives the reader a natural place to rest their eyes.
Flush left alignment is also used for headings and subheadings. When used for headings, it is common to use a slightly larger font size and/or to make the text bold.
Flush left alignment is not recommended for short lines of text, such as in a narrow column. In these cases, the jagged right edge can be distracting.
There are many different ways to justify text, but flush left is the most common. To justify text is to align it along both the left and right margins. Justified text is often used in newspapers and magazines.
Indenting the first line of a paragraph is common in business and academic writing, but is less common in general, day-to-day writing. When indented, the first line is known as an indented paragraph or a hanging indent. The rest of the paragraph is still flush left.
There are a few reasons why you might choose to use a different alignment for a particular piece of writing. For example, you might want to center a title or heading, or you might want to justify a block of text to make it look symmetrical on the page.
Flush left is one of the most important aspects of typesetting. It ensures that all text is aligned along the left margin, creating a clean and organized look. This is especially important for long blocks of text, as it makes them much easier to read. Flush left also makes it easier to add additional elements, such as images or quotes, as they can be easily aligned with the rest of the text.