Text indent для word

The Tab Key

One simple way to indent text is to place the cursor at the start of a paragraph and hit the tab key on your keyboard. In Microsoft Word, this adds a 0.5” (1.27cm) indent at the left margin. It also automatically formats the text so that subsequent paragraphs have a first-line indent.

If all you want to do is begin each paragraph with a half-inch indent, this is fine. But for more control over text indentation in your document, read on.

How to Indent Text

You can find the basic indentation options in Microsoft Word on the main ribbon. This includes the Paragraph section of the Home tab, where you will find Increase Indent and Decrease Indent buttons.

The Increase Indent button adds a 0.5” (1.27cm) indent at the left margin for the entire paragraph (not just the first line). The Decrease Indent button, meanwhile, does the exact opposite.

Alternatively, go to Layout > Paragraph on the ribbon and adjust the values in the left and right indent boxes as required. This has the added bonus of letting you indent text by a custom amount.

Special Indentations

For even more control over the indentation in your document, you can open the main Paragraph menu. This can be accessed by going to Home > Paragraph, clicking the Line and Paragraph Spacing button, and then selecting Line Spacing Options… from the dropdown menu.

In the new window, you will find an Indentation section. The left and right indent options here work the same as in the Layout tab on the ribbon.

The other settings here can be used to add special indentations to your document. These include:

• First line – This option indents the first line of each paragraph to a custom value. Typically, this type of indent would be used as an alternative to paragraph spacing.
• Hanging – This will indent each line after the first in a paragraph. The most common use for this is to add a hanging indent in a reference list (e.g., as required in APA referencing).
• Mirror indents – Clicking this will change the left and right indent options to say Inside and Outside This will mean that indents are “mirrored” on odd and even pages, which helps ensure consistent formatting when printing something in a book format.

To use these options, simply select the text you want to format with the cursor, open the paragraph menu, choose the type and size of indent you want to apply, and click OK to change the indentation for the selected text.

1. Select the text you want to adjust.

2. Go to Home and select Line and Paragraph Spacing > Line Spacing Options at the bottom of the menu.

   

   The Paragraph dialog box opens.

   

3. On the Indents and Spacing tab, select the options you want, and click OK.

   The Paragraph dialog box options are described in Adjust indents and spacing.

You can quickly adjust indents and spacing in Word for the web.

1. If you’re not already in Editing View, select Edit Document > Edit in Word for the web. The doc will switch from Reading View to Editing View.

   

2. Select Page Layout and notice the Indent left and right and Spacing before and after options.

   

3. Place your cursor at the beginning of the paragraph you want to adjust.

4. To indent the paragraph, type the distance you want in the Left or Right box under Page Layout.

   For example, type 0.1 to indent the paragraph one tenth of an inch.

5. To change the amount of space before or after the paragraph, type a number in the Before or After box.

Tip: To change the indents for an entire document, it’s much faster to adjust the margins. Under Page Layout, select Margins, and choose the margin settings you want.

Microsoft Word is a graphical word processing program used to create text-based documents. It’s included in all of the Microsoft Office application suites and is one of the most widely-used word processors.

The importance of indenting

When creating a body of text in a Word document, indenting the first line adds structure and is the most common way to signal the start of a new paragraph or topic. 

Block paragraphs are the default in Word, meaning that each line within a paragraph is aligned with the left margin, and the paragraphs only visually separated by line spaces. As a general rule, block paragraphs are more common when writing for an online platform, and indented paragraphs are more common in print publishing and academic research. 
The images featured in this article are from Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365), which is the same as Word 2019. The steps are the same for Word 2016, Word 2013, and Word 2010.

Aside from indenting the first line, it’s also possible to indent every line except for the first line, known as a hanging indent or second line indent. Hanging indents are typically used in bibliography or reference sections. 

6 ways to indent in Microsoft Word

There are multiple ways to indent in Microsoft Word depending on the style of document you’re creating and your preferences. But first, ensure the Ruler feature is displayed. This allows you to better position and customize your text spacing. To display the Ruler:

1. Click the View tab 
2. Click the checkbox next to Ruler in the left hand corner

There are several types of indents in the Word document:

• The First Line Indent indicates the first line of the paragraph.

  Instead of using the first-line indents, a
  space between paragraphs
  or even an empty line is often used. In modern word-processing, it is not
  recommended to use the first-line indents and the
  spaces between paragraphs in the same document.

  Notes:

  • The first-line indent in the first paragraph of any text
    is optional since it is obvious where the paragraph begins.
    However, the
    Drop caps
    may apply for such paragraphs.
  • Do not use spaces or tabs to indent the first line — when you
    change the style of different paragraphs. It will be difficult
    to reconcile them.

  

• Professionally printed material in English typically does not indent the first
  paragraph but indents those that follow. So, a negative indent or
  hanging indent is used, as an indent that indents all text except the
  first line:

  

  The hanging indents are used in Bibliographies, Reference pages, and sometimes in scripts, dictionary entries, and footnotes.

• Another standard modern English style is the lack of indentation, and the addition of vertical white space to create «block paragraphs»:

  

  The block paragraphs are commonly used for block quotations.

Customize the paragraph format

   1.   Click the paragraph you want to format or select
multiple paragraphs.

   2.   Do one of the following:

• On the Home tab, in the Paragraph group, click the dialog box
  launcher:

  

• Choose Paragraph… from the shortcut menu (right-click or press
  Shift+F10) to display the Paragraph dialog box:

  

   3.   In the Paragraph dialog box, choose or
type the appropriate values for Left, Right, or Special
(First line or Hanging) indents:

Use the ruler

To do so, click in the paragraph you want to format or select multiple paragraphs, and
then drag the First Line Indent marker left or right to the desired location.

Increase/decrease text indentation

• Using the keyboard:

  You can press Ctrl+T to create a hanging indent that aligns body text with the first tab marker. (By default, tabs are set every 0.5 inches).

  You can press Ctrl+Shift+T to “unhang” an indent, regardless of how the hanging indent was created.

  Press Ctrl+Shift+M to decrease a paragraph’s indent by one tab stop. By default, tab stops are set every 0.5 inches.

  Press Ctrl+M to increase a paragraph’s indent by one tab stop. By default, tab stops are set every 0.5 inches.

  You can instantly add a full line space before a paragraph by selecting the paragraph(s) you want to format and pressing Ctrl+0 (zero). If you select multiple paragraphs, pressing Ctrl+0 adds a blank line space before each paragraph in the selection.

• Using the mouse:

  To increase/decrease text indentation for the selected text, on the Home tab, in the Paragraph group, click the Decrease Indent or Increase Indent button:

  
    or  
  

See also this tip in French:
Comment
créer un retrait négatif de première ligne.

While preparing a document in Word, you may find yourself having to add a hanging indent or first line indent. They’re used to set off one paragraph from each other. In that way, indents help make your document more pleasant to look at and easier to read.

This tutorial shows you, step-by-step, how to add a hanging indent in Word. You’ll also learn the steps for adding a first line indent.

As you’ll soon see, you can use different methods to make indents and hanging indents in Word. I’ll walk you through each of those methods and when to use one or the other. Plus, I’ll share a bit about how premium Word templates can help you work more quickly and produce a better-looking document.

Note: In this tutorial, I’m using Microsoft Word for Mac version 16.46. If you’re on a different version, the interface may look a little different for you.

What Is a Hanging Indent and Why Would You Use It?

A hanging indent is when the first line of the paragraph is flush at the margin, and all succeeding lines of the paragraph are indented. It’s also known as a “second line indent” and “reverse indent.”

Hanging indents are typically used in bibliographies, citations of works, and reference lists. They’re required by style guides like:

• American Psychological Association (APA)
• Associated Press Stylebook
• Chicago Manual of Style
• Modern Language Association (MLA)

Hanging indents are usually used in academic and scholarly works. But even in a business document, you may also decide to use hanging indents. They’re helpful because they visually separate citations, making it easy to quickly scan through the author names or works titles. 

First Line Indent: Another Type of Indentation

A more common kind of indentation is the first line indent. As the name implies, only the first line of the paragraph is indented. The rest of the lines are set to the left margin.

First line indents visually separate one paragraph from another. Now that word processing software like Microsoft Word makes it easy to increase the spaces between paragraphs, first line indents are no longer in popular use.

But the Chicago Manual of Style, APA, and other style guides still recommend first line indents instead of extra spacing between paragraphs. Check the style you’re using to know if you should use first line indents of paragraph spacing.

Let’s get started by making a hanging indent in Microsoft Word.

How to Make a Hanging Indent in Word

There are three methods you can use to make a hanging indent. In this section, I’ll explain the steps for each method:

Method 1. Keyboard Shortcut

This method is fast and easy. It’s best to use this method if you’ve already typed or pasted all the citations in your document. The keyboard shortcut for a hanging indent is Cmd+T in Mac and Ctrl+T in Windows.

By default, the succeeding lines are indented by 0.5 inch. If that’s what your style guide recommends, then you can use this method.

1. Click and drag the mouse to select the text where you’d like to apply the hanging indent.

2. Type the Cmd+T (Mac) or Ctrl+T (Windows).

The selected paragraphs now have a hanging indent, with succeeding lines indented by 0.5 inch (the default).

Method 2. Paragraph Format

If you want more control over the hanging indent, then use this method. As with the first method, this works best after you’ve typed or pasted the citations into your document. Here are the steps:

1. Select the text.

2. Go to Format > Paragraph.

The Paragraph settings window opens.

3. Beside Special, open the dropdown menu, and select Hanging.

4. Specify the amount of indentation you want. Then click OK.

Note that the indentation is now only 0.25 inch, as I specified.

Method 3. Paragraph Styles

Another way to add a hanging indent in Microsoft Word is by using paragraph styles. Use this method if you’ll be adding more citations to the document later.

1. Follow the steps in either Method 1 or 2 to add a hanging indent to a paragraph.

2. With the cursor on the formatted paragraph, go to Format > Style.

The Style settings window opens.

3. Click New.

The Create New Style from Formatting window opens.

4. Give the new paragraph style a name.

Look at the paragraph preview and Microsoft Word indent settings to make sure they’re what you want. If everything looks the way you’d like them to look, click OK.

5. Back in the Styles window, click Apply.

Now all you’ve got to do is apply the Citation paragraph style to new citations.

Whichever method you choose to create a hanging indent, new paragraphs will automatically have a hanging indent. After you’ve applied the hanging indent, follow these steps: 

Place the cursor at the end of an existing citation. 

Hit the Return key, then type or paste the new citation on the next line. It’ll automatically have a hanging indent.

How to Make a First Line Indent in Word

There are three ways to make a first line indent. Here are the steps for each method:

Method 1. Tab

This is the simplest way to create a first line indent. But it’s not a convenient method to use if you’ve already typed the entire document. It’s also more suitable for shorter documents with just a few paragraphs.

1. Place the cursor before the first letter of the paragraph.

2. Click the tab key.

Now the first line has been indented to the first tab of the document.

When you hit return at the end of the paragraph, the next paragraph you type will automatically have a first line indent as well.

The next two methods for adding a first line indent in Word are more suitable for longer documents.

Method 2. Paragraph Format

This method works well for longer documents after you’ve typed or pasted the text.

1. Select the text.

2. Go to Format > Paragraph.

The Paragraph settings window opens.

3. Beside Special, open the dropdown menu and select First Line.

Specify the amount of indentation you wish to apply, then click OK.

Now all the selected paragraphs have first line indents.

Method 3. Paragraph Styles

This method of adding first line indents is good for long documents that already use paragraph styles.

1. Follow any of the previous methods to add a first line indent in an existing paragraph.

2. With the cursor on the paragraph, right-click on the style name on the ribbon.

3. Click Update Normal to Match Selection.

Now all paragraphs with the Normal style will have a first line indent.

3 Tips for Using Indents in Word

Style guides recommend hanging indents and first line indents because they make documents easier to scan and read. Microsoft Word helps you create indents easily, but as with other features, indents can be abused and misused. Keep these tips in mind to make sure you’re using indents properly.

1. Stick to One Style Guide

Follow one style guide and use it consistently in the entire document. Don’t mix up styles! Your school or business may specify which style guide you should use. If not, pick one and stick to it.

You may also decide to create your own style guide for your business or organization. If you do, remember to document it well so that anyone in your team or institution will be able to create documents that follow your style.

Study the tutorial below for tips on how to write your document:

2. Choose Only One Way to Separate Paragraphs

Don’t use both first line indents and paragraphs spacing. If using first line indents, don’t put extra spaces between paragraphs.

And if you’ve placed extra spaces between paragraphs, don’t use first line indents. Use only one way to separate paragraphs from each other.

When in doubt, follow the style guide you’re using.

3. It May Not Be Necessary to Indent the First Paragraph

Some experts say some paragraphs don’t need to have a first line indent. For example, if a paragraph is preceded by a title or heading, then a first line indent is unnecessary to set the paragraph apart from it.

Again, follow the recommendation of the style guide you’re using. Whatever you decide, apply it consistently throughout your document.

The Easiest Way to Create an Impressive Word Document: Use a Word Template

Microsoft Word delivers robust features and tools at your fingertips. But there’s an even easier way to create an impressive document in Word. That’s by starting with a template for Word. 

Whatever type of document you’re creating—whether it’s a resume for job hunting, a brochure to promote your services, or the invitation to your child’s birthday party—you’ll find hundreds of Word templates that meet your needs.

The best source of templates for Word that I know of is Envato Elements. You’ll find thousands of Word templates that are designed by professional graphic artists. This means the biggest and hardest design decisions have already been made for you! All you have to do is to personalize the text, images, and colors to align with your branding. You can even change the design and layout if you’re inclined to do so.

With millions of creative assets for various types of projects, Elements offers tremendous value. Get unlimited downloads for one small monthly subscription. That includes unlimited downloads of Word templates as well as fonts, stock photos, graphics, and so much more. And you can cancel your subscription at any time.

Elements is a valuable tool to use in your MS Word workflow. It’ll cut down the amount of time you spend hunting for creative assets you need in your document.

Use Microsoft Word Indents to Create an Effective Document

You’ve just learned how to do a hanging indent on Microsoft Word. Hanging indents and first line indents are only two of the ways to make your document visually pleasing and easier to read. 

Microsoft Word indents make your document attractive by visually separating paragraphs from each other. Hanging indents make it easy to scan through a list of references or citations. But first line indents give readers a visual cue of where each paragraph begins. Note that you don’t have to use first line indents if you’ve already added spacing between each paragraph.

You can also have a terrific-looking document by building it from a Word template. Professionally designed templates, like the ones you’ll find in Envato Elements, have the design decisions made for you. At the same time, you’ll still be able to change the formatting settings as you see fit. To get unlimited downloads of templates for Word and other creative assets, get an Elements subscription.

Whether creating a Word document from scratch or starting from a Word template, follow the steps in this tutorial to create a first line indent or hanging indent in Word.