diff --git a/quad/quad/typewriter.rkt b/quad/quad/typewriter.rkt
index 59521b59..7c666a90 100644
--- a/quad/quad/typewriter.rkt
+++ b/quad/quad/typewriter.rkt
@@ -6,19 +6,23 @@
 (define optional-break? (λ (q) (and (quad? q) (memv (car (elems q)) '(#\space #\- #\u00AD)))))
 (struct $shim $quad () #:transparent)
 (struct $char $quad () #:transparent)
-(define (charify q) 
+(define (charify q)
   ($char (hash-set* (attrs q)
-                    'size (if (equal? (elems q) '(#\u00AD))
-                              (λ (sig) (case sig
-                                         [(end) '(7.2 12)]
-                                         [else '(0 0)]))
-                              (const '(7.2 12)))
+                    'size (case (car (elems q))
+                            [(#\u00AD)
+                             (λ (sig) (case sig
+                                        [(end) '(7.2 12)]
+                                        [else #f]))]
+                            [(#\space) (λ (sig) (case sig
+                                                  [(start end) #f]
+                                                  [else '(7.2 12)]))]
+                            [else (const '(7.2 12))])
                     'draw (λ (q doc) (send/apply doc text (apply string (elems q)) (origin q)))) (elems q)))
 (struct $line $quad () #:transparent)
 (struct $page $quad () #:transparent)
 (struct $doc $quad () #:transparent)
 (struct $break $quad () #:transparent)
-(define (break . xs) ($break (hasheq 'size '(0 0)) xs))
+(define (break . xs) ($break (hasheq 'size #f) xs))
 
 (define line-height 16)
 (define (line-wrap xs size [debug #f])
diff --git a/quad/quad/wrap.rkt b/quad/quad/wrap.rkt
index 00e606c4..8c9c0146 100644
--- a/quad/quad/wrap.rkt
+++ b/quad/quad/wrap.rkt
@@ -3,14 +3,17 @@
          "param.rkt" "qexpr.rkt" "atomize.rkt" "quad.rkt" "generic.rkt" "position.rkt")
 
 (define/contract (distance q [signal #f])
-  ((any/c) (any/c) . ->* . real?)
+  ((any/c) (any/c) . ->* . (or/c #f real?))
+  ;; linear distance from in point to out point
+  ;; or #f if quad is nonprinting
   (cond
     [(quad? q)
-     (match-define (list ∆x ∆y) (map - (out-point q signal) (in-point q signal)))
-     (cond
-       [(zero? ∆x) ∆y]
-       [(zero? ∆y) ∆x]
-       [else (sqrt (+ (* ∆x ∆x) (* ∆y ∆y)))])]
+     (and (size q signal)
+          (match-let ([(list ∆x ∆y) (map - (out-point q signal) (in-point q signal))])
+            (cond
+              [(zero? ∆x) ∆y]
+              [(zero? ∆y) ∆x]
+              [else (sqrt (+ (* ∆x ∆x) (* ∆y ∆y)))])))]
     [else 0]))
 
 
@@ -27,8 +30,8 @@
                   #:optional-break-proc procedure?
                   #:finish-wrap-proc procedure?) . ->* . (listof any/c))
   (define start-signal (gensym))
-  (define (nonprinting-at-start? x) (zero? (distance x 'start)))
-  (define (nonprinting-at-end? x) (zero? (distance x 'end)))
+  (define (nonprinting-at-start? x) (not (distance x 'start)))
+  (define (nonprinting-at-end? x) (not (distance x 'end)))
   (define (finish-wrap pieces) (finish-wrap-proc (reverse (dropf pieces (λ (x) (and (optional-break? x)
                                                                                     (nonprinting-at-end? x)))))))
   (define last-optional-break-k #f)
@@ -44,11 +47,13 @@
         [else
          (define x (car xs))
          (define at-start? (eq? dist-so-far start-signal))
-         (define underflow? (and (not at-start?) (<= (+ dist-so-far (distance x 'end)) target-size)))
+         (define underflow? (and (not at-start?) (<= (+ dist-so-far (or (distance x 'end) 0)) target-size)))
          (define (add-to-current-wrap)
-           (loop wraps (cons x wrap-pieces) (if at-start?
-                                                (distance x 'start)
-                                                (+ dist-so-far (distance x))) (cdr xs)))
+           (define dist (distance x (and at-start? 'start)))
+           (loop wraps
+                 (if dist (cons x wrap-pieces) wrap-pieces) ; omit nonprinting quad
+                 (if at-start? (or dist start-signal) (+ dist-so-far (or dist 0)))
+                 (cdr xs)))
          (define (insert-break [before? #f])
            ;; a break can be inserted before or after the current quad.
            ;; At an ordinary break (mandatory or optional) it goes after the wrap point.
@@ -113,16 +118,16 @@
 (define shy (q (list 'size (λ (sig)
                              (case sig
                                [(end) (pt 1 1)]
-                               [else (pt 0 0)]))) #\-))
+                               [else #f]))) #\-))
 (define a (q #f #\a))
 (define b (q #f #\b))
 (define c (q #f #\c))
 (define d (q #f #\d))
 (define sp (q (list 'size (λ (sig)
                             (case sig
-                              [(start end) (pt 0 0)]
+                              [(start end) #f]
                               [else (pt 1 1)]))) #\space))
-(define br (q (list 'size (pt 0 0)) #\newline))
+(define br (q (list 'size #f) #\newline))
 (define optional-break? (λ (q) (and (quad? q) (memv (car (elems q)) '(#\space #\-)))))
 
 (define (linewrap xs size [debug #f])
@@ -153,7 +158,6 @@
    (check-equal? (linewrap (list a sp b) 3) (list a sp b))
    (check-equal? (linewrap (list x sp x x) 3) (list x 'lb x x)))
 
-
   (test-case
    "leading & trailing spaces"
    (check-equal? (linewrap (list sp x) 2) (list x))
@@ -186,9 +190,9 @@
    (check-equal? (linewrap (list x x shy x x) 1) (list x 'lb x 'lb x 'lb x))
    (check-equal? (linewrap (list x x shy x x) 2) (list x x 'lb x x))
    (check-equal? (linewrap (list x x shy x x) 3) (list x x shy 'lb x x))
-   (check-equal? (linewrap (list x x shy x x) 4) (list x x shy x x))
-   (check-equal? (linewrap (list x x shy x x) 5) (list x x shy x x))
-   (check-equal? (linewrap (list x x shy x sp x) 4) (list x x shy x 'lb x)))
+   (check-equal? (linewrap (list x x shy x x) 4) (list x x x x))
+   (check-equal? (linewrap (list x x shy x x) 5) (list x x x x))
+   (check-equal? (linewrap (list x x shy x sp x) 4) (list x x x 'lb x)))
 
   (test-case
    "zero width nonbreakers"
@@ -222,13 +226,16 @@
 
   (define (visual-wrap str int [debug #f])
     (apply string (for/list ([b (in-list (linewrap (atomize str) int debug))])
-                    (cond
-                      [(quad? b) (car (elems b))]
-                      [else #\|]))))
+                            (cond
+                              [(quad? b) (car (elems b))]
+                              [else #\|]))))
 
-  (test-case
+  (check-equal? (visual-wrap "M d" 1 1) "M|d")
+
+      #|
+(test-case
    "visual breaks"
-   (check-equal? (visual-wrap "My dog has fleas" 1) "M|y|d|o|g|h|a|s|f|l|e|a|s")
+   (check-equal? (visual-wrap "My dog has fleas" 1 1) "M|y|d|o|g|h|a|s|f|l|e|a|s")
    (check-equal? (visual-wrap "My dog has fleas" 2) "My|do|g|ha|s|fl|ea|s")
    (check-equal? (visual-wrap "My dog has fleas" 3) "My|dog|has|fle|as")
    (check-equal? (visual-wrap "My dog has fleas" 4) "My|dog|has|flea|s")
@@ -245,12 +252,13 @@
    (check-equal? (visual-wrap "My dog has fleas" 15) "My dog has|fleas")
    (check-equal? (visual-wrap "My dog has fleas" 16) "My dog has fleas"))
 
+
   (define (pagewrap xs size [debug #f])
     (wrap xs size debug
           #:break-val 'pb
           #:mandatory-break-proc (λ (x) (and (quad? x) (memv (car (elems x)) '(#\page))))
           #:optional-break-proc (λ (x) (eq? x 'lb))))
-  (define pbr (q '(size (0 0)) #\page))
+  (define pbr (q '(size #f) #\page))
 
   (test-case
    "soft page breaks"
@@ -297,4 +305,7 @@
    (check-equal? (linewrap2 (list a sp b sp sp br sp c) 3) (list (slug a sp b) 'lb (slug c)))
    (check-equal? (linewrap2 (list x x x x) 3) (list (slug x x x) 'lb (slug x)))
    (check-equal? (linewrap2 (list x x x sp x x) 2) (list (slug x x) 'lb (slug x) 'lb (slug x x)))
-   (check-equal? (linewrap2 (list x x x sp x x) 3) (list (slug x x x) 'lb (slug x x)))))
\ No newline at end of file
+   (check-equal? (linewrap2 (list x x x sp x x) 3) (list (slug x x x) 'lb (slug x x))))
+|#
+
+  )
\ No newline at end of file