This browser does not support basic Web standards, preventing the display of our site's intended design. May we suggest that you upgrade your browser?

Adobe InDesign CS2

Working with Tabs

Tabs allow you to line up text vertically in a document. Text can be lined up in relation to the margins, to specific characters (e.g., a dollar sign) or to punctuation (e.g., quotation marks or bullets).

return to topThe Tab Palette

Tabs are set using the Tabs palette, which offers you a preview of the tab position as well as options for the tab position and tab alignment.

  1. From the Type menu, select Tabs
    The Tabs palette appears.
    NOTE: A checkmark will appear next to the option when the Tabs palette is displayed.

    Tabs Palette

  2. OPTIONAL: To place the Tab palette directly above the text frame, click POSITION PALETTE ABOVE TEXT FRAMESnap palette above text frame button
    HINTS:
    You must your cursor placed or text selected within the text frame you want the palette positioned above.
    Arrows on the Tab ruler will show a preview of where your tabs will be placed.

return to topSetting Tabs

You can set left, center, right, and decimal or special character tabs. When you use the special character tab, you can align a tab to any character you choose.

  1. Display the Tabs palette

  2. Select a paragraph, group of paragraphs, or text frame for the tab to affect
    HINT: To affect more than one text frame, press [SHIFT] and select the frames to be affected.

  3. From the Tab Alignment buttons, select an alignment
    Tab Alignment Buttons

  4. On the Tab ruler, click where you want the tab to be placed
    OR
    In the Tab Position text box, type a new location
    An arrow appears above the ruler to show where the tab has been set. Tab Ruler with a Tab Set
    NOTE: Clicking more than once on the Tab ruler causes several tabs to be set. In order to move a tab after it has been set, click directly on the arrow and drag it to the new location.

return to topRepeating Tabs

The Repeat Tab command repeats a tab based on specifications for the first tab.

  1. Display the Tabs palette

  2. Select a paragraph, group of paragraphs, or text frame for the tab to affect
    HINT: To affect more than one text frame, press [SHIFT] and select the frames to be affected.

  3. From the Tab Alignment buttons, select an alignment
    Tab Alignment Buttons

  4. On the Tab ruler, click where you want the tab to be placed
    An arrow appears above the Tab ruler where the tab has been set.

  5. To have this tab repeat, from the Tabs palette, click MENUMenu button» select Repeat Tab
    The tab repeats at this interval.

return to topCreating a Decimal Tab

A decimal tab aligns the tab on a decimal or other specified characters.

  1. Display the Tabs palette

  2. Select the paragraph, group of paragraphs, or text frame that will contain the decimal tab
    HINT: To affect more than one text frame, press [SHIFT] and select the frames to be affected.

  3. From the Tab Alignment buttons, select ALIGN TO DECIMAL (OR OTHER SPECIFIED CHARACTER) TABAlign to decimal button

  4. OPTIONAL: In the Align On text box, type a new character for the tab to align on
    NOTE: Make sure the paragraphs you are aligning contain the character you specified.

  5. On the Tab ruler, click where you want the tab inserted

  6. At the beginning of each paragraph to align, press [Tab]
    The tab is aligned to the first occurrence of the specified character in the paragraph.

return to topAdding a Tab Leader

A tab leader repeats a pattern of characters between a tab and the following paragraph.

  1. Display the Tabs palette

  2. Select the paragraph, group of paragraphs, or text frame that will contain the tab
    NOTE: To affect more than one text frame, press [SHIFT] and select the frames to be affected.

  3. From the Tab Alignment buttons, select an alignment
    Tab Alignment Buttons

  4. From the Tab Leader text box, type a pattern of characters to be used as the tab leader
    NOTE: The pattern can be between one and eight characters long.

  5. Press [Enter]

  6. On the Tab ruler, click where you want the tab inserted

  7. Within the text, press [Tab]
    A tab leader is inserted, repeating the pattern of characters as necessary.
    EXAMPLE: Table of Contents...................2

return to topChanging Tab Alignment

Once tabs are created, you can change their alignment.

  1. Display the Tabs palette

  2. Select the paragraph or group of paragraphs that contain the tab you are changing

  3. On the Tab ruler, select the desired tab

  4. Click the desired Tab Alignment button
    Tab Alignment Buttons

return to topMoving Tabs

After you have a tab set, you can move it.

  1. Display the Tabs palette

  2. Select the paragraph or group of paragraphs that contain the tab you are moving

  3. On the Tab ruler, select the desired tab

  4. From the Tab ruler, click and drag the tab to a new location
    OR
    In the Tab Position text box, type a new location

return to topDeleting Tabs

Unneeded tabs can easily be deleted.

  1. Display the Tabs palette

  2. Select the paragraph or group of paragraphs that contain the tab you are deleting

  3. On the Tab ruler, select the desired tab

  4. Click and drag the tab off the Tab ruler

Excellence. Our Measure. Our Motto. Our Goal.