 <p><code>line-height</code> doesn't collapse - every line will be that height, regardless of content before or after, similar to the line height setting in any word processor or DTP.</p> <p>However, if you use <code>margin</code> vertical spaces collapse, so you can use it as the space before and the space after paragraphs.</p> <p>So the following:</p> <pre><code>p { font-size: 20px; line-height: 30px; margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 10px; } </code></pre> <p>Will produce:</p> <ul> <li>20px font size</li> <li>1.5 line height</li> <li>5px space before the first paragraph</li> <li>10px space after the last paragraph <em>and</em> between paragraphs</li> </ul> <p>And also:</p> <ul> <li>The first margin will be applied before the outer <code>div</code></li> <li>The last margin will be applied after the outer <code>div</code></li> </ul>