Paragraph Format Window

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Open the Paragraph Window by Selecting Format-Paragraph. The Paragraph Window will open. The first tab provides a way to edit indents and spacing. As you see in the picture, you may indent from the left or right (before or after text). You can also use the automatic feature which automatically sets up indentation to configured settings, set them then check the box. While you are checking your configurations preview the settings in the preview window. Place spacing above and below your paragraph to help set it apart form the rest of your text.

Line spacing allows you to choose a preset configuration for the lines; again watch the preview window to see how it will change your document. You can use the Register-true ”Activate” option for aligning the bottoms of adjacent column lines.

Paragraph Text Alignment

Text Alignment sets the alignment of the text in the line. You can move the text in how it lines up with the text above and below vertically. In the example you see the second paragraph is centered while the first is left justified. The best way to understand how the text alignment will look is to focus on the preview window. It will show you clearly what each option will look like. In addition, you can set up the line so that it is vertically aligned within the line itself, baseline, top, middle or bottom as well as automatic. This will only work if your line spacing is larger than your font.

Paragraph Text Flow

One option that is available with text flow is how often you allow hyphenated words. When you choose the automatic option you can set how many characters at the end of a line or the beginning you want. You also will be able to choose the maximum number of consecutive hyphens.

Text flow also allows you to maintain the consistency of your paragraph by forcing a break before or after the page or column.

When you use the break you can set up the style in which the new page will start. Options in text flow will allow you to decide if you want to split a paragraph or keep with an existing paragraph. In addition, you will be able to modify orphan control as well as widow control. The orphan and widow control allows you to decide how many lines from your paragraph you want to leave on the page separate from the rest of the paragraph.

Paragraph Line Numbering

You can apply line numbering to your paragraph. If you would like to restart the numbering process you can make that choice as well. The example shows numbering restarting with a paragraph.

Paragraph Tabs

The Paragraph Format Window will allow you to set up your paragraph tabs from within the window. When you set up the tabs you may want a fill character which you can choose. Once you have set up your tab the way you like them select new to save it, or delete it. If you choose Delete All you will remove all the tabs you have created and return to the defaults.

Paragraph Drop Caps

When you use Drop Caps, you have the option to display a number of letters or the whole word; the preview gives you and idea how it will look. You are even able to enter text different than the starting text for the Drop Caps and you can add character styles as well.

Paragraph Borders

Often you may want to have a paragraph stand out by placing a border around it.

The borders tab in the Paragraph Formatting Window provides a concise way to manage borders.

You may choose the line thickness and then how the line is arranged around the paragraph using Line style. Notice that you can change from the default black color to any color you would like for the border. Line arrangement can be the default choices or it can be a user defined option.

You can create distance between the border and your text. This feature makes your document look much more professional and is easy to accomplish. At the same time, you are able to synchronize the border/text settings or create one setting that is different than the others.

If you would like to define your border further you are also able to insert a shadow and change the shadow color as well.

Paragraph Background

When you use the Background tab you will have the choice whether you would like to format the background of the paragraph with color or if you would like to insert a graphic into the background. The color formatting of the background is simple; select a color and click OK. The color will be visible in the preview window.

If you choose Graphic instead of Color you will then be able to browse for the graphic you would like to use.

Using Graphic you will have additional options of position, area and tile. If you choose area instead of position, the graphic covers the entire area of the paragraph, something like a watermark.