Bad Rag
Rag describes the changing edge of unjustified text; a bad rag contains distracting shapes, abrupt steps, or accidental patterns.
BAD_RAGDefinition
A good rag is neither mechanically regular nor chaotic. Quality depends on line length, word shapes, measure, paragraph context, and visual intent, so no numeric score can be final authority.
BAD vs GOOD
A very long line stretches outward short then another very long line creates a hole
Line endings vary without repeated shapes, deep holes, or isolated stubs.
Why it matters
The rag is one of the strongest visible rhythms in flush-left text and can either support or disrupt reading.
Rule strength
Visual composition heuristic. This is not an absolute linguistic law; locale, genre, content, and house style can change the correct decision.
Exceptions and editorial considerations
- Poetry, display type, narrow labels, and intentional shaped text can use irregular edges expressively.
How to fix it manually
- Judge at intended reading size.
- Edit copy or adjust measure.
- Review hyphenation and composer settings.
- Avoid excessive manual line breaks that become fragile after edits.
Adobe InDesign guidance
Use paragraph-level composition controls, balancing features where appropriate, and deliberate soft returns only when the layout is stable and documented.
How Avellio detects it
Avellio emits BAD_RAG as a geometric quality signal for composed paragraph edges.
Manual visual review only.
Language and locale differences
This principle has no separate Avellio locale override in the current registry; composition and house style can still affect judgment.
Authoritative references
- Avellio User Manual — Complete issue identifier referenceAvellio product source
- Adobe InDesign — Set text compositionAdobe documentation
Avellio references document product behavior. External standards and authorities support the general or locale-specific typographic guidance. Where traditions disagree, this page states the disagreement instead of manufacturing one universal rule.