Using the Ruler

The ruler in Word can be used to adjust and specify the margins and positioning of text within your document. To use the ruler for this task follow these directions:

1. Select all of the text to be affected.
2. Click and drag the top triangle within the ruler (1) to adjust the First Line Indent. This will affect the positioning of only the first line of each selected paragraph.
3. Click and drag the bottom triangle (2) to adjust the Hanging Indent. This will affect all lines other than the first in selected paragraphs.
4. Click and drag the square below the Hanging Indent marker (3) to adjust the Left Indent and move both of the triangles.
5. Click and drag the bottom triangle on the right side of the ruler (4) to adjust the Right Indent in the same way you adjusted the Left Indent in step 4.
6. Finally, scroll over the area of the ruler where the gray shading meets the white space (5), until your cursor becomes a double-headed arrow. Now click and drag to adjust the gray area and adjust the margins for the entire document.

Return to Technology Tips