The Ruler

You can adjust the width of margins, tabs, and indents in your document using Word's Ruler.

The Ruler is helpful when you need to create several columns, show column placement, or the distance between columns.

Hiding and Displaying the Ruler:

• Click View on the menu bar.
• Select Ruler.
• The Ruler will appear at the top of the document.

If you switch to Print Layout View (Choose ViewPrint Layout View), a vertical ruler displays along the left hand side of the screen. To hide this vertical ruler, switch to a different layout view.

Setting Tabs, Indents and Margins using the Ruler

The ruler provides a visual tool that allows you to quickly view, create and change your documents tabs, margins and indents.

Tabs

Click on the small gray box to the left of the ruler to move through the five different Tab Settings.

• Left tab : Moves text toward the right edge of the page as you type.
• Center tab : Centers text around the tab.
• Right tab : Moves text toward the left edge of the page as you type.
• Decimal tab : Aligns decimal numbers using the decimal point.

For example:

• Bar tab : Draws a vertical line on the document.
• Indent : Inserts the indent marking anywhere along the ruler
• Hanging Indent : Inserts a hanging indent anywhere along the ruler

To Place a Tab or Indent On The Ruler:

• Click the cursor anywhere in the block of text you want to format.
• Click the tab selection button (upper left of the ruler).
• Click the Ruler where you want your tab or indent to be set.
• If you set up a new tab, press the tab key to move your text to the new tab.
• If you set up a new indent, place the cursor at the new indent location.

Adjusting Tabs and Margins on the Ruler

To Move an Existing Tab or Indent on the Ruler:

• Point the mouse on the tab or indent that you want to move.
• Click and hold the left mouse button until a dotted line appears below the tab.
• Drag the mouse to move the tab or indent to a new location.
• Release the left mouse button.

To Remove a Tab from the Ruler:

• Point the mouse on the tab you want to remove.
• Click and hold the left mouse button until a dotted line appears below the tab.
• Drag the mouse off the Ruler.
• Release the left mouse button.

To Adjust a Margin using the Ruler:

• Point the mouse on the margin that you want to move.
• Click and hold the left mouse button once a double arrow appears over the margin until a dotted line appears below.
• Drag the mouse to increase or decrease the margin.
• Release the left mouse button.

Remember you can also increase or decrease your Indents by using the Increase/Decrease Indent buttons on the Formatting toolbar.