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Using the Ruler for Tabs and Indents

By default, Word displays a horizontal and vertical ruler. If the ruler is not displayed, click Ruler on the View Menu. The horizontal ruler is shown here.

The horizontal ruler displays the left and right margins (dark gray), indents (triangles), and tab stops. You can use this ruler as a quick, visual way to set or adjust these settings. The vertical ruler shows the top and bottom margins and allows you to set or adjust them. 

Tabs

Most people are familiar with the concept of tabs. Just like a typewriter, hitting the Tab key on the keyboard moves the cursor to the position of the next tab stop. Word has a number different types of tabs including the left-aligned, right-aligned, center-aligned, decimal aligned, and a bar tab. By default, Word places a left-aligned tab every half-inch across the page. (These are not shown on the ruler.)

Note that the tab symbols are only displayed on the ruler when the insertion point is inside the paragraph or paragraphs that contain the tab formatting.

Tabs Are Paragraph Formats

The tab settings affect either the selected paragraphs or the single paragraph containing the insertion point. If you want the tab to affect one paragraph, the cursor must be in that paragraph BEFORE you create the tab. If you want the tab to affect more than one paragraph, you must select all the text BEFORE you create the tab.

Any formatting in the current paragraph is automatically assigned to a new paragraph when you hit the Enter key. Tab formats act in the same way. If you move your cursor outside the paragraph (beyond the mark), the tabs are no longer applied to a newly created paragraph.

Indents

As you can see on the ruler image above, there are three triangle shapes on the horizontal ruler. These represent the indentation settings. You can adjust the indents using these markers.

As with tabs, you must select the paragraph or paragraphs you wish to indent or put the insertion point into the single paragraph that you wish to indent.

On the left, the top triangle controls the first line indent, the lower triangle affects all the other lines in the paragraph. The triangle on the right controls the right indent. The square below the triangles on the left, affects the left indent - which includes both the first line indent and the hanging indent. 

 
Click and drag these symbols to change the indents in your paragraph. Remember to make a selection if you want to change multiple paragraphs at the same time. Click and drag each triangle to move it. Click the square to move both the first and hanging indent on the left.

Use these indents to change the position of the text in your document. Auto Numbering and Auto Formatting in Word often change these settings without your knowledge. Pay attention to the tabs and the indents on the ruler. You'll learn to bring them under your control! 

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