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Article Number A04282002
When I format paragraphs to use bullets or numbering, I get a large gap between the bullet
or number and the start of the first line of text. Changing Text Indent moves all the text closer, but I
only want the first line to start closer to the bullet. How can I close this gap, and get the alignment and indents I want?
Article Content: Beginner
Author: Geoff Blanthorn
Answer:
I'll try to explain what is going on. This applies to Bullets also,
although I refer only to Numbering.
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I |
I Setting the Number indent doesn't result in any problems. It does just that, spaces
the Number
from the left margin. (I set it at 0.2" in this example.)
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II |
Similarly setting the Text indent too behaves as you might expect, by spacing the
text in from the
left margin. This can be greater or less than the Bullet indent,
or the same, if you wish. (I have it set at 0.6")
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III |
It's the first line of text that seems difficult to control! However it is not
uncontrollable!. The
position it takes up is determined by the Tab settings. The
default position for tabs is every .5
inch, so the first line of text will start .5" from
the left margin, or a multiple of that (ie 1" 1.5"
etc) if the Number indent is too
large for the earlier tab-stop to be used. If you add a tab at, say,
0.15" higher
than your Number indent setting, that is where the first line text will start, while
the rest of the text will obey the Text Indent setting. [Note: You can add Tabs
using Format
menu/Tabs, or right-click/text format/tabs.]
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IV |
One thing to watch, especially if using numbering, is that the gap you specify (i.e.
the +0.15" of
the previous paragraph) is large enough to accommodate the largest
number you will be using.
If it's not, the first line text of that paragraph will jump
in to the next tab stop! Just as it has for
THIS paragraph! I have put my first tab
stop at 0.375" in this example, not enough to clear the
"IV" number, but sufficient
for the others.
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V |
Note also, that the first line of text will align with the subsequent lines if the Text Indent setting
is less than the first tab stop available for the first-line text. For this paragraph (only), I have
deleted the 0.375" and 0.5" tab stops, so the first remaining tab stop is 1", greater than the 0.6"
Text Indent setting.
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To sum-up:
- Bullet indent positions the Bullet.
- Text indent sets the position of all text except the first line.
- The start of the text on the first line will start at the lesser of a) the first available tab stop, or b)
the text indent setting.
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