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The Ruler: Margins and Indents and Tabs in Word 2007, Part 4

Tabs

Back in the day, when we started our programs from the DOS prompt and when we used the function keys for everything, we knew how to use tabs. If you took a word processing class, you would spend weeks learning tabs, setting tabs, using tabs, counting characters to calculate where to put tabs. You knew your tabs. But, no more. Tables and columns get used instead of tabs. Tabs are still with us, still at at half-inch default spacing, and are easy to customize.

Tabs are good for having left, center and right aligned text all on the same line (like in headers and footers), creating spaced columns, and printable fill-in-the-blanks forms.

Tabs and the Ruler

Tabs can be set, modified, deleted and the type changed with the ruler. The type of tab shows up at the very left end of the ruler, at the edge of the Word window. Basically, you choose the tab type, then click the position on the white part of ruler and you’ll see the tab represented by the symbol for the kind of tab it is. You click and drag the tab along the ruler to move it, drag it off the ruler to delete it.
There are five tab types: Left, Center, Right, Decimal, and Bar, plus a first line indent or hanging indent can be applied through the same button.
About the tab types: Left keeps characters lined up on the left; the middle of the word will line up with a Center tab; a Right tab will line up words on their last letter; Decimal tabs work for lining up the decimal places of numbers; and the Bar tab will position a vertical line.

Tabs and the Ribbon

Tabs can be set through the ribbon, plus this is the only place to create a leader, aka dot leader, for a tab.
Once a leader is set it automatically puts a series of periods, dashes or underscores between tabs. To find the Tabs box, look in the Home tab, Paragraph group, open the Paragraph box and click the Tab button at the bottom.

For more information see: The Ruler: Margins and Indents and Tabs, Part 3, Part 2 and Part 1.

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