Add tabs and indents


You can modify existing tab stops by changing their alignment. You can also add trailing leader characters, so that dots, or other characters, automatically precede the tab stops. In addition, you can add new tab stops and remove existing tab stops.

Indenting changes the space between a text frame and the text that it contains. You can add and remove indents without deleting or retyping text. You can indent an entire paragraph, the first line of a paragraph, or all lines of a paragraph except the first line (a hanging indent). You can also indent from the right side of the text frame.

To modify a tab stop

Back to Top
1 Click Window Properties.
2 In the Properties docker, click the Paragraph button to display the paragraph-related options.
3 In the Paragraph area of the Properties docker, click the arrow button located at the bottom of Paragraph area to display additional options.
4 Click the Tab settings button.
5 In the Tab Settings dialog box, perform a task from the following table.

 

To
Do the following
Change the alignment of tab stops
Click the cell in the Alignment column, and choose an alignment option from the list box.
Set tab stops with trailing leader characters
Click the cell in the Leaders column, and choose On from the list box.
Delete a tab stop
Click the cell, and click Remove.
Change the default leader character
Click Leader Options, open the Character picker, and click a character.
Change the default leader spacing
Click Leader Options, and type a value in the Spacing box.

*

You can also add, move, or delete tab stops on the horizontal ruler at the top of the drawing window. Click to add a tab stop, drag a tab marker to move it, and drag a tab marker off the ruler to delete it. For information about rulers, see Rulers.

To add a tab stop

Back to Top
1 Using the Text tool , select the paragraph text.
2 Click Window Properties.
3 In the Properties docker, click the Paragraph button to display the paragraph-related options.
4 In the Paragraph area of the Properties docker, click the arrow button located at the bottom of Paragraph area to display additional options.
5 Click the Tab settings button .
6 Click Add.
7 Click the new cell in the Tabs column, and type a value.

To indent paragraph text

Back to Top
1 Using the Text tool , select the paragraph text.
2 Click Window Properties.
3 In the Properties docker, click the Paragraph button to display the paragraph-related options.
4 In the Paragraph area of the Properties docker, type values in the following boxes:
First line indent — indents the first line of text relative to the left side of the frame
Left line indent — creates a hanging indent relative to the left side of the text frame; all lines, except the first line, are indented
Right line indent — indents the text relative to the right side of the frame

*

You can remove indents by typing 0 in the First line indent, Left line indent, and Right line indent boxes.

You can indent an entire paragraph by typing the same value in both the First line indent and the Left line indent boxes.

Was this page helpful? Send feedback.