Using Type > Setting tabs, indents, and margins > Setting tabs |
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Setting tabs
You can align text using default tabs, or by adding tabs. You can also add tab leaders, repeating characters (such as dots) used to fill the space between tabbed elements. You can create a custom leader using a character of your choosing.
Default tabs left-align at 1/2-inch intervals, regardless of the unit of measure for the document. When you place new tabs, the default tabs to the left of the new tab are deleted. You can choose from five kinds of tabs on the text ruler: left, right, center, decimal, and wrapping.
You can track tab placement with a vertical line in the text block as you drag a tab on the ruler.
To set tabs manually:
1 |
Using the Text tool, click to set an insertion point where you want to apply tab settings, or drag to select text. |
2 |
Drag a tab marker from the text ruler to its new location in the area just above the numbers: |
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Drag the left-align tab to align the left edge of the text to the tab marker.
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Drag the right-align tab to align the right edge of the text to the tab marker.
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Drag the center-align tab to align text to the center of the tab marker.
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Drag the decimal-align tab to align text at the decimal point. If the text does not contain a decimal point, the tab right-aligns the text.
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Decimal tabs |
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Drag the wrapping tab to make multiple columns of text flow between two tab markers. To define a space between two columns created with wrapping tabs, place a wrapping tab on each side of a column, and then place another one at the beginning of the next column.
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Wrapping tabs |
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3 |
To align text to the new tab setting, place an insertion point in the text where you want to place the tab, and press Tab. |
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To set tabs precisely:
1 |
Using the Text tool, click to set an insertion point where you want to apply tab settings, or drag to select text. |
2 |
Double-click the text ruler to display the Edit Tab dialog box. |
3 |
In the Edit Tab dialog box, set the following options: |
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For Alignment, choose the type of tab: Left, Right, Center, Decimal, or Wrapping. |
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For Position, enter a number in points for the tab's location, measured from the left side of the text block. |
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Click OK. |
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Repeat steps 2 through 4 to set additional tabs. |
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To align text to the new tab setting, place an insertion point in the text where you want to place the tab, and press Tab. |
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To add a tab leader:
1 |
Double-click an existing tab marker or the text ruler to display the Edit Tab dialog box. |
2 |
In the Edit Tab dialog box, do one of the following: |
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Choose a tab leader from the Leader pop-up menu.
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To enter a custom leader, select the Leader text box, and enter a character. |
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Click OK |
Note: Tabs and tab leaders cannot be used in text on a path. Tab leaders cannot be used with wrapping tabs. |
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To delete a tab:
Drag the tab arrow down off the text ruler.
To move a tab to a new position:
Drag the tab arrow along the ruler to the desired position.
To track tab placement with a vertical line in the text block:
1 |
Choose Edit > Preferences. Click Text. |
2 |
Select Track Tab Movement with Vertical Line (the default setting) to display a vertical highlight line in the text block as you move a tab on the text ruler. Deselect the option to hide the tracking line. |
3 |
Click OK. |
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