August 13, 2008

Setting Indents Using the Word Ruler

Have you ever wondered what all the little triangle symbols are for on the MS Word ruler?

If you haven't noticed them, take a quick look. See them now? They must be there for a reason, right? Want to know what it is?

Then you're in the right place, because that's exactly what we're going to cover today!

The "triangles" are actually markers for different paragraph indents. That means you can make changes to specific paragraph margins right in the Page/Print Layout or Normal views, without ever bothering with the Format menu or Paragraph window.

Cool, huh?

Okay, let's get down to business!

On the left side of the ruler, you'll find an hourglass type marker. That is actually three different settings all in the same place. (At least they are for now. As you'll learn, they can be separated).

The top triangle is the location for the First-line Indent. The first line of text in a paragraph will start wherever you put this on the ruler.

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The bottom triangle sets the location for Hanging Indents. That's where all lines of text, except the first, begin in a paragraph.

The little rectangle below the hourglass is the Left Indent. That will move both of them simultaneously, allowing you to set them in the same place, without having to do it twice.

On the far right side of the ruler, you'll find one more marker.

That's the location of the Right Indent. By moving it left, you can choose to change the right margin for a particular paragraph.

To move a marker, simply put your mouse pointer over it, left click and hold and drag it across the ruler to its new location. Release the mouse button when you've found the right spot.

You'll also probably notice that a vertical dotted line will appear below the marker, helping you align items as necessary.

So, now that you know what the triangles are for and how to move them, maybe we should quickly discuss what they'll affect.

If you make changes to the indent markers before a paragraph is typed, the setting will work on the current paragraph and all other paragraphs you create after it.
If you'd like to change just one paragraph that's already typed, simply place the cursor anywhere in the paragraph and move the markers as needed. The changes will only affect the current paragraph.
If you'd like to make changes for several paragraphs that are already typed, highlight them before moving the markers. The change will only affect the highlighted paragraphs.