PDF (adobe.com)

Set indents



Indents move text inward from the right and left edges of the frame. In general, use first‑line indents, not spaces or tabs, to indent the first line of a paragraph.

A first-line indent is positioned relative to the left-margin indent. For example, if a paragraph’s left edge is indented one pica, setting the first-line indent to one pica indents the first line of the paragraph two picas from the left edge of the frame or inset.

You can set indents using the Tabs dialog box, the Paragraph panel, or the Control panel. You can also set indents when you create bulleted or numbered lists.

Set an indent using the Tabs dialog box

  1. Using the Type tool , click in the paragraph you want to indent.
  2. Choose Type > Tabs to display the Tabs dialog box.
  3. Do one of the following to the indent markers  in the Tabs dialog box:

    • Drag the top marker to indent the first line of text. Drag the bottom marker to move both markers and indent the entire paragraph.

      First-line indent (left) and no indent (right)

    • Select the top marker and type a value for X to indent the first line of text. Select the bottom marker and type a value for X to move both markers and indent the entire paragraph.

For more information on using the Tabs dialog box, see Tabs dialog box overview.

Set indents using the Paragraph panel or the Control panel

  1. Using the Type tool , click in the paragraph you want to indent.
  2. Adjust the appropriate indent values in the Paragraph panel or Control panel. For example, do the following:

    • To indent the entire paragraph one pica, type a value (such as 1p) in the Left Indent box .

    • To indent only the first line of a paragraph one pica, type a value (such as 1p) in the First Line Left Indent box .

    • To create a hanging indent of one pica, type a positive value (such as 1p) in the Left Indent box and type a negative value (such as ‑1p) in the First Line Left Indent box. See Set indents.

Reset indents

  1. Click in the paragraph in which you want to reset indents to the zero mark.
  2. Choose Reset Indents from the Tabs dialog box menu.

Create a hanging indent

In a hanging indent, all the lines in a paragraph are indented except for the first line. Hanging indents are especially useful when you want to add inline graphics at the beginning of the paragraph.

No indent (left) and hanging indent (right)

  1. Using the Type tool , click in the paragraph you want to indent.
  2. In the Tabs dialog box or the Control panel, specify a left indent value greater than zero.
  3. To specify a negative first-line left indent value, do one of the following:

    • In the Control panel, type a negative value for the first-line left indent .

    • In the Tabs dialog box, drag the top marker to the left, or select the marker and type a negative value for X.

In most cases, you’ll specify the negative equivalent of the value you entered in step 2; for instance, if you specified a left indent of 2 picas, your first-line left indent will typically be –2 picas.

Right-indent the last line of a paragraph

You can use the Last Line Right Indent option to add a hanging indent on the right side of the last line in a paragraph. This option is especially useful for right-aligning prices in a sales catalog.

Last line right indent

  1. Type your paragraphs. In the last line of each paragraph, place the insertion point before the text to be indented, and choose Type > Insert Special Character > Other > Right Indent Tab.
  2. Select the paragraphs.
  3. To create a right indent for paragraphs, specify a value (such as 2p) in the Right Indent field of the Paragraph panel or Control panel.
  4. To offset the right indent value for the text that follows the tab, type a negative value (such as ‑2p) in the Last Line Right Indent field of the Paragraph panel or Control panel.

Use Indent To Here

You can use the Indent To Here special character to indent lines in a paragraph independently of a paragraph’s left indent value. The Indent To Here special character is different from the paragraph’s left indent in the following ways:

  • Indent To Here is part of the text flow, as if it were a visible character. If text reflows, the indent moves with it.

  • When you choose Type > Show Hidden Characters, the Indent To Here character  is visible.

  • Indent To Here affects all lines after the line where you’ve added its special characters, so you can indent just some of the lines in a paragraph.

  • When you choose Type > Show Hidden Characters, the Indent To Here character  is visible.

Indent To Here special character

  1. Using the Type tool , click the insertion point where you would like to indent.
  2. Choose Type > Insert Special Character > Other > Indent To Here.