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Using tabs in Word may seem a bit confusing at first. But once you learn how to set them up, you'll see that aligning text is not as much of a mystery as you first thought. You can set tabs by using the ruler or by using the Tabs dialogue box.

Using the Ruler to Set Tabs

There are several different tab stops you can set. The Tab button (to the left of the ruler - it looks like a dark "L") allows you to choose the kind of tab you want to set.

If you click on this button, it will allow you to choose the kind of tab stop you need (Left-aligned tab, Center-aligned tab, Right-aligned tab, Decimal-aligned tab and Bar tab (inserts a vertical bar). You can also use set up first line and hanging indents.

To set the tab, click the Tab button next to the ruler until it changes to the type of tab you need. Click anywhere on the ruler to place the tab stop. You can move any tab stop by grabbing it with the mouse and moving it to a new position. To remove the tab stop, grab it with the mouse and move it off the ruler (down towards the bottom of the screen).

Using the Tabs Dialog Box to Set Tabs

If you prefer to use exact measurement for your tabs, or if you want to use leader characters between tabs, you will need to use the Tabs dialog box. To do this, select the paragraph(s) to which you want the tabs set. Go to the Format menu and choose Tabs. In the Tab stop position: box, you can enter the position of the tab stop in inches from the left margin. Choose the type of tab stop you want in the Alignment section. The Bar option adds a vertical line to the paragraph rather than set a tab stop. If you want the space between tabs to be filled in, choose one of the Leader Characters. Click Set to add the tab stop to the list. Repeat this process until you have added all the tab stops you need. When you are finished, click OK.