Using Tab Stops in Word

 

Ever try to make a table of contents or line up decimal points using Word?  Well, Tabs are the answer. 

 

To use the Tool Bar

1.  In a Word document, make sure the Ruler is open.  If it isn’t, go to the View menu and select Ruler.

2.  Look at the top left of the tool bar.  To change tab stops, click Left Tab at the far left of the until it changes to the type of tab you want: Left Tab , Right Tab , Center Tab , Decimal Tab  (keeps the decimal points in a straight line) or Bar Tab .

To set Precise Measures
1.  Click Tabs on the Format menu.
2.  Enter the measurements you want under Tab Stop position.
3.  Click Set.

To change the default setting
1.  The default setting is five inches.
2.  To change this setting, go to Format and then Tabs.
3.  Change .5 to whatever you want it to be. That will alter all the tabs to that amount of space.

To make a Table of Contents 

1.  Go to the Format menu; click Tabs.

2.  Under Tab Stop position, type the position for a new tab.  In other words, after you have typed the
     title, where do you want the tab to start typing again?

3.  Under Alignment, select the alignment for text typed at the tab stop.  For example, if you want to put
     the page number at the right hand side of the page, select Right.

4.  Under Leader, click the type of line you want and then click Set. Whichever one of the lines you
     select will make that line from where you stop typing to where you begin typing again.  If you
     selected Right, you can type what you want and the right hand margin will stay in line.