how to use ruler in word

Microsoft Word is notoriously bad and difficult for formatting tables. If you don't see the ruler at the top of your document, go to View > Ruler to display it. If you’re printing a document, the rulers can help ensure that what you see on your screen translates into what you’ll get on the printed page. Sets the left margin for the paragraph, as opposed to for the whole document. The ruler has two parts: the line and the tab bar. A Right tab stop sets the right end of the text line. Why Word lets it off by default is beyond us, but at least now you know how to turn it back on and put it into use. Although some people use the space bar to format their documents, things rarely line up correctly. A Left tab stop sets the left end of the text line. Note: Ruler consists of 2 components, horizontal ruler (Horizontal Ruler) can be displayed in both Web Layout and Draft modes, but vertical ruler (Vertical Ruler) does not. It provides a quick way to control margins, set various indents for a paragraph, and keep things in line using tab stops. Select the text where you want to add a first line indent. And if you want to change indents throughout the whole document, just hit Ctrl+A (to select everything), and then adjust the sliders. To view the Ruler, check it in the Show group (the Show/Hide group in Microsoft Word 2007) on the View tab. If you don't see the ruler at the top of … With the Ruler is enabled in either the Print Layout or in the Draft Layout, you can use it to change the margins and tabs, or to see the size and placement of graphic or type elements. There has been great improvement in the last few versions but still many users do not know the processes or short cut keys. Without regard to the number of digits, the decimal point remains in the same position. To show the ruler marks as a percentage of the page, select the “Display the ruler units as percentage” checkbox. A vertical ruler also shows up and runs down the left side of the window, though that ruler is only for show. You can change measurements to centimeters, millimeters, points, or picas. By submitting your email, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. This thread is locked. If “Print Layout” isn’t already highlighted, click it now. To display the Ruler, click the View Ruler icon. On the ruler, drag the upper triangular part of the lower marker to the place you want the indentation to start, for example to the 1" mark. Format A Table in a Microsoft Word Document Using the Ruler. It’s set as blank by default. The Gutter is extra space on the page, usually used as an extra blank space for things like comb binding (those little plastic corkscrews that make a cheap notebook). If you need to change the ruler units for other apps e.g., PowerPoint, you can do so in much the same way. It inserts a vertical bar at the tab position. To see the ruler, it must be set to display and you must be in Print Layout, Web Layout, or Draft view. As you type, the text fills toward the left. Use decimal tabs to line up numbers with decimal points. The “Margins” tab lets you set the margins for the top, bottom, left, and right, which you can verify with the markers on the ruler (see below). You can follow the question or vote as helpful, but you cannot reply to this thread. The tab bar, the white space in … They’re great for precisely lining up images, text, and other elements. Aligning paragraphs is discussed at length on our training courses but we will briefly discuss how to use the Ruler for professional alignment of your data and graphics within a report. Not only vertical ruler but this page will also show you the horizontal ruler too!! at the left end of the horizontal ruler to change it to the type of tab you want. The gray areas at either end of the ruler represent your margin; the white areas the active page. Thus, you can display the ruler in Word 2013, 2016 in the same way as below: And you will see the ruler toolbar - the ruler shown above the text, which is very important in editing, aligning, formatting and editing. Left Indent. A tab stop is the location your cursor moves to when you hit the Tab key. Clicking this button lets you cycle through the different types of tab stops Word makes available. Uncheck the "Ruler" box to hide the ruler. In Print Layout view, the ruler appears on the top of the writing part of the Word window. The Ruler function helps align the text, graphic, tables or other elements in your document. Note: We’re working with Office 2016 in this article. If you use Word 2007, there are 2 options of how to show ruler in Word. Used to indent the first line of a paragraph. Click the View Ruler icon on the top of the right vertical scroll bar, as shown in the picture. Select the text where you want to add a hanging indent. And, if you prefer to set up your tab stops manually (and a little more precisely), double-click any tab marker to open the “Tabs” window. When it reaches the white, active area, it starts counting up again. Depending upon which document view you are using, the ruler may appear differently, or it may not appear at all. If it still doesn't show, you might need to turn the ruler on. ; Select Ruler. Click the View tab at the top of the window. With a hanging indent, the second and all the following lines of a paragraph are indented more than the first. The rulers in a Publisher publication appear at both the top and left sides of the publication, by default. On the ruler, drag the triangular marker on the top left of the ruler to the place you want the indentation to start, for example to the 1" mark. You’ll see the pointer turn to a double arrow and will likely see a tooltip letting you know you’re point at the margin. Step 1: Open your document in Word. Hold your mouse over the line separating the white and gray area. You can also click the View tab and check the box for Ruler. With a first line indent, the first line of a paragraph is indented and the following lines of a paragraph are not. On the ruler, drag the triangular marker on the lower right side of the ruler to the place you want the right edge of the paragraph. When you move the left indent, your first line indent or hanging indent are moved in sync. The “Page Setup” window shows you most of the physical layout properties of the document. He’s covered industry events like the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) and Mobile World Congress in person. It provides a quick way to control margins, set different indents for a paragraph and keep things online using tabs. Ruler in a word file stays on the top and left to help you move table borders and line up objects. Moving the First Line indent in the Ruler will indent only the first line of the paragraph. The right indent marker controls the position of the right side of a paragraph. You can change the unit of measurement displayed on the rulers, to do this: Go to Word > Preferences > General (under Authoring and Proofing Tools ). These same steps are shown below with pictures – Step 1: Open your document in Word 2013. See Use decimal tabs to line up numbers with decimal points. Note: Word’s rulers show whatever measurement you have set in File > Options > Advanced > Show Measurements In Units Of. The ruler by default is on when you open the word file, but just in case the ruler in your document disappears, please follow the steps below to bring it back. You should immediately see the horizontal ruler above your document and the vertical ruler to its left. Then, check the Ruler box to activate the alignment of the margins. Double-click any empty space on the ruler to open the Page Setup window. To insert a tab stop, just use the button to select the type of stop you want. Be aware, though, that this settings controls the units of measurement used throughout Word—not just the ruler. If you’re cycling through tab stops and don’t remember what each symbol means, move your mouse away from the button and then back to activate a tool tip describing that tab stop. Here they are: A little tip for you. Open Word 2007 (as you may notice, now we don't have any vertical ruler and horizontal ruler) 2. You can also use the ruler to set tabs, change margins, and indent paragraphs. Hover the mouse over the double tab at the left margin. Margins are indicated on the ruler by the gray and white areas. Select the text where you want set the right indent. Unlike other tabs, the bar tab is added to the text as soon as you click the ruler. Hanging Indent. The above article may contain affiliate links, which help support How-To Geek. Your mouse will turn to a double arrow and “Left Margin” … First, make sure you’re in Print Layout view. The Ruler is helpful when you need to create several columns, show column placement, or know the distance between columns.. Ditto for the vertical ruler: starts at one for a one-inch margin, restarts at zero at the white space, and only goes up to ten. Whilst this may be okay for informal documents, if you are creating professional documents like reports and brochures, you will want to make sure that your formatting is spot on. You can see the result of this setting in the digital rulers on the page, with the default 1-inch margins resulting in a 7.5-inch horizontal ruler and a 10-inch vertical ruler. The ruler is naturally hidden in Word. A Decimal tab stop aligns numbers around a decimal point. Choose Pages > Preferences (from the Pages menu at the top of your screen), then click Rulers at the top of the preferences window. Word displays a horizontal ruler at the top of your document in most views; however, a ruler is only available only in Print Layout view. If you look all the way to the left edge of your document, just above the vertical ruler, you’ll see the Tab Stop button. As you type, the text fills toward the right. They end up with paragraphs which (with non-printing characters displayed) look something like this:Figure 1. Click 'View Ruler' at the top of the vertical scroll bar. Setting tab stops lets you better control and line up text. How to Verify a Signal Contact’s Identity (Using the Safety Number), How to Create and Use Sections in Microsoft Word, How to Make Your Apple Watch Tap Out the Time, How to See Which iPhone Apps Can Access Your Contacts, How to Back up Your Gmail to a Local Mailbox the Easy Way, © 2021 LifeSavvy Media. First, you must leave the Print Layout view , then switch to the View tab . The Show measurements in units of selector displays the units currently being used by the ruler (and everywhere else in the document). And so they continue. 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