This chapter is from the book
Tab basics
- The ruler across the top of the document window has nothing to do with tabs. Do not try to align your text by measuring in that ruler! The only way the ruler across the top of the document and the Tabs panel ruler are related is that the horizontal measurement you choose in the document ruler changes the measurement in the Tabs panel ruler.
- The Tabs panel ruler applies to the selected text frame or the selected text.
- Every paragraph has its own tab settings.
- Always use a left alignment with tabs! If you set tabs and it’s all messed up, check to make sure the text alignment is left-aligned.
- You can set up tabs before you begin typing, or type some text and then add the tabs.
- To add a tab marker to the Tabs panel ruler, single-click the type of tab you want (explained on the previous page), then single-click in the Tabs panel ruler to set the tab marker.
- To move a tab marker, drag the marker left or right.
- To delete a tab marker, drag the marker off the ruler—up, down, or diagonally.
- To change the tab marker to another alignment, single-click on the marker you want to change. Then single-click on the symbol for the type of tab you want to replace it with.
- If you open the Tabs panel and set tab markers when there is no text selected and no frame selected, the tabs you set will be the new defaults. That is, any new text frame you create in that document will have those tab settings. Take advantage of this!
- To clear all tab markers and return the invisible defaults at every half inch, use the panel menu and choose “Clear tabs.”