New York – before the rise in computer usage, very few people were aware of the intricacies of printing. Professionals had their own language. In typography, the term “leading” (pronounced wiith a short e as in Reading Railroad) refers to how much vertical space was added between the lines of type. In modern day word processing programs, it is called “line spacing.” The inclusion of a full line of space between each line is called “double spacing.” In QuarkXPress – they still use the term “leading.”
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Our Daf today (Bava Basra 163a) deals with the issue of how far below a document do the signatures of the witnesses appear. The concern, of course, is forgeries. Rav Chiya Bar Ami is the opinion that is followed in Shulchan Aruch (Choshen Mishpat 45:9). The amount is 2 lines and three line heights – or three measures of standard leading.
Rabbi Abahu, on the other hand held that the amount is one line and two measures of leading. Rav hai Gaon ruled like Rabbi Abahu. The Ramban and Mordechai also rule like Rabbi Abahu.
Lehalacha, we follow the Shulchan Aruch.