Adobe InDesign CS3

Working with Bulleted and Numbered Lists

A bulleted list places a bullet character before each new paragraph, while a numbered list places a number and a separator before each item. If a paragraph is added or removed from a numbered list, the numbers change accordingly. InDesign CS3 allows you to change the style of the list characters with different fonts and indent spacing.

NOTE: You must use the Bullets and Numbering dialog box to edit the formatting and indent spacing; you cannot select bullets or numbers using the Type Tool.

Creating Bulleted and Numbered Lists
Editing Bullet Characters
Editing Numbered Lists
Spacing and Indenting Lists

Creating Bulleted and Numbered Lists

One of the easiest ways to create bulleted or numbered lists is to type the list first, then add the bullets or numbers. You can also add bullets and numbering to paragraphs, causing each new paragraph to begin with a bullet character or number.

From the Toolbox, select the Type Tool
Select the desired insertion point for your list
Type the items to appear in the list
Select the text
If the Command Bar is not already displayed, from the Window menu, select Object & Layout » Command Bar
NOTE: A checkmark appears next to the selection if it is already displayed.
From the Command Bar, click NUMBERED LISTor BULLETED LIST
Numbers/bullets appear next to the items in your list.
OPTIONAL: To switch a numbered list to a bulleted list, or vice versa, click the button you want the list to change to

Removing Bullets and Numbers from Text

Select all of the items in the list
From the Command Bar, click the icon associated with the list type currently applied (NUMBERED LISTor BULLETED LIST)
The numbers or bullets are removed from the text.

Editing Bullet Characters

You can modify the appearance of a bulleted list by using a different bullet character. If you do not want to use one of the existing bullet characters, you can add new ones.

Changing a Bullet Character:

Select the bulleted list you want to change
From the Command Bar, press [Alt] + click BULLETED LIST
The Bullets and Numbering dialog box appears.
In the Bullet Character section, from the Bullet Character grid, select the desired bullet character
OPTIONAL: In the Bullet or Number Position section, make the desired changes to the bullets alignment and indentation
OPTIONAL: To change the tab position of the character, use the Tab Position text box or nudge buttons to indicate the desired position
Click OK
The bulleted list appears with the new bullet characters.

Adding a Bullet Character

Select the bulleted list you want to change
From the Command Bar, press [Alt] + click BULLETED LIST
The Bullets and Numbering dialog box appears.
Click ADD...
The Add Bullets dialog box appears.
Select the character you want to use as a bullet
HINT: Selecting a different Font Family or Font Style lets you view different bullet options.
To ensure that the bullet is always displayed in the current font and style, select Remember Font with Bullet
HINT: Remembering fonts is useful when a character may not be available in a different font.
Click ADD
To add additional characters, repeat steps 4-6
Click OK
You are returned to the Bullets and Numbering dialog box.
From the Bullet Character grid, select the desired bullet character
Click OK
The list appears with the new bullet character.

Removing a Bullet Character

Removing unused bullet characters can make it easier to find other characters that you frequently use.

From the Command Bar, press [Alt] + click BULLETED LIST
The Bullets and Numbering dialog box appears.
In the Bullet Character section, from the Bullet Character grid, select the bullet character you want to remove
Click DELETE
NOTE: The first preset bullet character cannot be deleted
Click OK
The bullet character is removed from the list.

Editing Numbered Lists

InDesign allows you to change the style or starting number of a numbered list. A numbered list will update itself when a list element is added or removed; however, only consecutive paragraphs are numbered sequentially. If you want to insert text without a number between list items, you must use the Start At mode option to continue sequentially numbering paragraphs after the non-numbered one.

Select the numbered list you want to change
From the Command Bar, press [Alt] + click NUMBERED LIST
The Bullets and Numbering dialog box appears.
From the List Type pull-down list, select Numbers
Under Numbering Style, from the Format pull-down list, select the desired format
From the Mode pull-down list, select the desired mode
If you selected the Start At mode, in the Start At text box, type the number you want the list to start at
HINT: Changing this number is useful when you want to start a new set of numbers immediately following another set of numbers or when you want the numbered list to continue after a non-numbered paragraph.
OPTIONAL: In the Bullet or Number Position section, make the desired changes to the bullets alignment and indentation
OPTIONAL: To change the tab position of the character, use the Tab Position text box or nudge buttons to indicate the desired position
Click OK

Spacing and Indenting Lists

InDesign allows you to change the spacing and indentation between bullets or numbers and the list elements.

Select the numbered or bulleted list you want to change
From the Command Bar, press [Alt] + click NUMBERED LISTor BULLETED LIST
The Bullets and Numbering dialog box appears.
In the Bullet or Number Position section, from the Left Indent text box, type a value for the distance you would like the text indented
OR
Use the arrows to move the number up or down
HINT: To view these changes as you make them, select Preview
From the First Line Indent text box, type a value for the distance you would like between the text and the bullets
HINT: Use a negative number to move the bullet character closer to the edge of the text box, and use a positive number to move the bullet character closer to the text.
To change the position of the first line of text, use the Tab Position text box or nudge buttons to indicate the desired position
HINT: To line the text up with the successive lines of text, set the Tab Position to the same value as the Left Indent.
Click OK
The spacing and/or indenting changes are applied to the selected bulleted or numbered list(s).