how to add a first line indent in word 2016

And remember, a new paragraph is created every time you press Enter. Each of the tab settings that you create or modify are specific to that paragraph. The chief advantage to using tabs rather than spacing is that after the tabs are in your document, you can move or change the tab stops and then the selected text moves or realign. Using tabs will ensure that your text is aligned perfectly and is easy to modify if you change your mind! Many of us have been frustrated by things not lining up perfectly, and we’re left dissatisfied by the slightly meandering edges.īecause proportional-font characters take up different amounts of space, the text in that font cannot be aligned correctly using spaces. The Paragraph dialog box will close, and your hanging indents should appear in your selected text.One of the most common mistakes that people make while formatting a document in Word is to use spaces to align text. Or, use the increment arrows to increase or decrease the indent 0.1 inch per click. Enter the length of your indent in inches (decimals or whole numbers) in the By text box.Select Hanging from the Special menu in the Paragraph dialog box.Select the dialog box launcher in the Paragraph group.įigure 8.Select the text in which you want to create hanging indents (see figure 4).How to Create Hanging Indents with the Paragraph Dialog Box

Your hanging indent will be created automatically as you move the ruler marker. Pro Tip: If you have trouble moving the bottom triangle marker separately from the top triangle marker, move both markers to the right and then move the top marker back to the left. (Note that the square marker will move with the bottom triangle marker.

Slide the bottom triangle marker in the ruler to the right.

Pro Tip: Avoid selecting the entire document with methods such as Ctrl + A because you will select headings and other items that don’t normally have hanging indents. Or, select multiple paragraphs if you want to create several hanging indents simultaneously.

Place your cursor inside the individual paragraph in which you want to create a hanging indent.

If your ruler is already visible, skip to step 3. How to Create Hanging Indents with the Ruler

How to add a first line indent in word 2016