Help with indenting a bulleted list in InDesign CS3?

[dopey220]

This image, mocked up in Photoshop, explains what I need.

In case it matters, the list was made by using the "bulleted list" option in the paragraph styles dialog box.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Blue Velvet]

Now, I know many people use tabs to do this sort of aligning, but it's not the right way to do things, because if copy reflows for whatever reason, you've got all these irritating tab characters where you don't need them. So yeah, bad practice.

So, it's the same command as it is in Quark for an 'indent to here' character.

Set the cursor in the text in the line above where you want the following text to align to and then go to Menu: Type>Insert Special Character>Other>Indent to here... or the identical keyboard shortcut in Quark as well is: Command + \

Note that all copy that is in the same paragraph will then align to that mark; its viewable by Show Hidden Characters, right at the bottom of the Type menu. Any copy in the same paragraph that is nudged on with a soft return will also align; it takes a hard return to start a new paragraph where you can set new indents.

 

[Jim Campbell]

Now, I know many people use tabs to do this sort of aligning, but it's not the right way to do things, because if copy reflows for whatever reason, you've got all these irritating tab characters where you don't need them. So yeah, bad practice.

I don't like the "indent to here" (as I understood it in Quark - never used it in InDesign) and prefer a combination of tab setting, paragraph indent and a minus value for the first line.

Is it wrong that I have to be physically restrained from killing people with a brick when I see them aligning text with multiple tabs or - better yet - spaces?

There's even a perfectly serviceable "Hanging Indent" feature in Word for chrissake!

People look at you like you've just turned water into wine when you show them that one ...

Cheers!

Jim

 

[Blue Velvet]

I don't like the "indent to here"

Since it's a superfast keyboard command that inserts an invisible formatting character into the copy that can't be overridden by any subsequent paragraph formatting, it's ideal for the job. That's what it's there for.

 

[arkitect]

Lots of good info.

Thanks! I have forever been tabbing away…
The things you learn on MacRumors.

Is it wrong that I have to be physically restrained from killing people with a brick when I see them aligning text with mutliple tabs or - better yet - spaces?

Oh, steady on! Some of us have other skills. We're not all trained Graphic Designers!

 

[tersono]

Is it wrong that I have to be physically restrained from killing people with a brick when I see them aligning text with mutliple tabs or - better yet - spaces?Jim

ROFLMAO!!!!

I feel your pain.

 

[Jim Campbell]

Since it's a superfast keyboard command that inserts an invisible formatting character into the copy that can't be overridden by any subsequent paragraph formatting, it's ideal for the job. That's what it's there for.

I like neatness and numbers. I can't help myself.

There's something about the para settings being -- Tab: 10mm Indent: 10mm First Line: -10mm -- that appeals to the part of my brain that clearly has OCD, because tabs, indents or whatever set to 9.723mm because they've been done by eye drive me absolutely potty.

I'm not saying that it's better ... I'm not even going to try and claim that it's rational, but I can't bring myself to do it any other way.

Cheers!

Jim

 

[IgnatiusTheKing]

Maybe I'm missing something here, but when I make a bulleted list in ID (which is, admittedly, pretty rare), I just click the bulleted list button and the text automatically aligns itself like the second example. If you want to tweak how far the text is from the bullets, or how far the bullets indent, you can use the Tabs window or the Bullets and Numbering Options pallet.

 

[dopey220]

Thanks, guys. 'Preciate it.