Ahh...
those elusive tabs. Tabs can be a confusing species, but Word
makes it easy - that is, easy once you know where to go to find
them! If you have been confused in the past, or have never
used tabs and want to learn how to perfectly align lists of items in
a document, this tutorial is for you. Keep reading and explore
the habitat and uses of the elusive tab.
Tabs
Tabs
help to organize the alignment of lists of items in a document.
Tabs can be used to align a table of contents, an index, a schedule
of events, a list of numbers - any list that you want to keep
consistently aligned. In Word 2000, tabs can even be used to
create a vertical line at a particular location on your page.
There are actually three ways to set up tabs in Word. Two
involve using the ruler, and one involves using a dialog box.
Let's start with the ruler, and then move to adding, modifying, and
clearing tabs with the dialog box.
Setting
Tabs Using the Ruler
This
is probably the easiest way to set a quick tab or two. Whether
in Normal view or Page Layout view, you notice a
button to the left of the ruler at the top of the page. Most
likely, it looks like a dark "L". This is the Tab/Indent
button:
The dark "L" represents a left-aligned
tab. If you click the button once, it changes to an
upside-down "T" which represents a center-aligned tab.
Continuing to click cycles you through the tabs and indents that are
available to set using the ruler. Indents will be covered in a
separate tutorial, but all are as follows:
Left-aligned
Tab
Center-aligned
Tab
Right-aligned
Tab
Decimal
Tab
Bar
Tab (No, not for drinks!)
First
line indent
Hanging
indent
To give you a better idea of what the decimal and
bar tabs do, here are two examples:
Decimal
tabs align decimal points - wherever you type a decimal it
will be aligned.
A
bar tab creates a vertical bar at the location you set on
the ruler.
For this tutorial, we are working with the most commonly used tabs
(Left, Center, and Right-aligned). We are creating an event
schedule that has the event, location, and speaker.
There are two ways to set tabs using the ruler.
The first involves setting the tabs, then typing. The second
involves typing first, then setting the tabs. Either one gets
you to the same result - it's simply a matter of personal
preference.
Setting tabs first:
Place your insertion point on the line where the
tabs are to start. Click the Tab/Index button to
find the center-aligned tab, .
Once the center-aligned
button is showing, click your pointer on the 2 inch mark on the
ruler. Word sets a center-aligned tab at 2 inches.
If you don't hit right on 2 inches, you can move the tab by
clicking and dragging it to the proper location.
Next, click the Tab/Index
button and find the right-aligned tab, .
Once the right-aligned
button is showing, click your pointer on the 4 inch mark on the
ruler. Word sets a right-aligned tab at 4 inches.
Type the first item,
press Tab, type the second item, press Tab, and
type the third item. When you press Enter for the
next line, your tabs will remain set. Simply continue
typing lines and pressing the Tab key in between items.
Typing first:
Place your insertion point at the location of
the first line to contain tabs. Type the first item, press Tab,
type the second item, press Tab, and type the third item.
Pressing the Tab key simply "marks" that
location for an impending tab, so it will look odd until the
tabs are set:
Leave your cursor flashing at the end of the
first line. Work left to right on the ruler and set all
the necessary tabs. Use the Tab/Index button to
find a center-aligned tab and click the ruler at 2 inches.
Use the same button to find the right-aligned tab and click the
ruler at 4 inches. You will notice that the items in the
first line jump to proper alignment as you set tabs.
Once you press Enter,
your tabs remain set for the following lines. Simply
continue typing lines and pressing the Tab key in between
items.
You can also set tabs with
the Tabs dialog box. Some prefer to set all of their
tabs at the same time in this box before starting the list of items,
because you can use precise measurements. You can also set a
leader for the tab (like the dotted line in a table of contents),
modify tabs, and clear tabs in this dialog box. Find out how
to use the Tabs dialog box to add, modify, and clear tabs on
page 2.
Notice: You have the author's
permission to use the tutorials on this site for your personal
use only. If you would like to use these tutorials for
training classes or other commercial use, please contact kstille@esmartweb.com.
Distribution in print or on the Web without the author's permission
is strictly prohibited.
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