"\vspace" not working in a 2-column document created with "paracol"

Question

In the following MWE, I have a 2-column document (created with paracol) where I tried to add both:

• a vertical whitespace between the top margin and the "Header", which worked by using \vspace*{0.5cm}, and
• a vertical whitespace between the "Header" and the "Sub-Header", still using \vspace*{0.5cm}. However, that command did not work, and no whitespace was created between the "Header" and the "Sub-Header".

How to add a whitespace between the "Header" and the "Sub-Header" in my MWE?

\documentclass[12pt,english]{article}
\usepackage{paracol}
\usepackage{lipsum}
\usepackage{babel}
\usepackage{microtype}
\setlength\parindent{0pt}
\begin{document}
\begin{paracol}{2}
    \lipsum[1]
\switchcolumn
    \vspace{0.5cm}
    {\LARGE Header}
    \newline
    \vspace{0.5cm}
    {\Large Sub-Header}
    \newline
    \lipsum[1]
\end{paracol}
\end{document}

Answer 1

You should finish the paragraph before switching back to a different font size. Otherwise the line spacing in your header will be wrong.

As a side effect, you'll also be able to add vertical space:

\documentclass[12pt,english]{article}
\usepackage{paracol}
\usepackage{lipsum}
\usepackage{babel}
\usepackage{microtype}
\setlength\parindent{0pt}
\begin{document}
\begin{paracol}{2}
    \lipsum[1]
\switchcolumn
    \vspace{0.5cm}
    {\LARGE Header\par}
    \vspace{0.5cm}
    {\Large Sub-Header\par}
    \lipsum[1]
\end{paracol}
\end{document}