KB122481 - How to Set Tabs and Tab Leaders in Publisher

SUMMARY

Tabs provide a consistent place within a paragraph or story where you can position text for a list or table, or to indent a line of text. Publisher has a preset tab stop every .5 inch.

You can also set your own tabs when, for example, you want to format the column of a table so that the column is center aligned, right aligned, or decimal aligned (that is, the numbers are aligned on the decimal point).

   Left Aligned  Center Aligned   Decimal Aligned   Right Aligned
   ------------  --------------   ---------------   -------------

   12345            12345                 123.45           Right
   6789012         6789012                 12.34         Aligned

You can also format a tab with "leaders" (characters that print in the tab space). Leaders are useful for drawing attention to items in a list and make it easy for the eye to find which list item belongs on which line. This is commonly used in a table of contents where the entries in the table are followed by a page number. The leader is a solid line or a series of dots or dashes that you can set so that when you press the TAB key, the leader is created up to the very next tab stop. For example:

   Dot leader...........................................1

You can choose leaders at the same time you set tabs, or they can be added to already existing tab settings.

MORE INFORMATION

To Set a Tab Stop

Click within the paragraph or line that you want to align with tabs.

From the Format menu, choose Tabs.

In the Tab Positions box, type the measurement for the tab stop.

For example, if you want to set a tab stop 1 inch from the left edge of the text frame, type in the number 1. If you want to set a tab that is 2-and-3/4 inches from the left edge, type in 2.75.

Choose Set.

Repeat steps 3 and 4 for each tab stop you want to set.

Choose OK.

To Set the Alignment of Tabs

Click within the paragraph that you want to set the tab alignment.

From the Format menu, choose Tabs.

In the Tab Positions box, highlight the tab stop you want to change the alignment on.

In the Alignment box, choose the alignment you want. For currency and numbers, choose either Right or Decimal alignment.

Repeat steps 3 and 4 as described in "To Set a Tab Stop" for each alignment you want to set.

Choose Set.

Choose OK.

To Set Tab Leaders

Click within the paragraph or line that you want to set Tab Leaders for.

From the Format menu, choose Tabs.

In the Tab Positions box, highlight the tab you want to add a leader to.

In the Leader box, choose the leader you want.

Repeat steps 3 through 5 as described in "To Set a Tab Stop" for each leader you want to add for the paragraph.

Choose Set.

Choose OK.