Microsoft KB Archive/31892

= Microsoft Knowledge Base =

Aligning Paragraph Borders and Vertical Lines
Last reviewed: July 30, 1997

Article ID: Q31892

The information in this article applies to:


 * Microsoft Word for the Macintosh, versions 3.0, 3.01, 3.02, 4.0, 5.0, 5.1, 6.0

SUMMARY
In Microsoft Word for the Macintosh, to align paragraph borders and vertical lines precisely, do the following:

Word Version 6.0

 * 1) From the Tools menu, choose Options. Select the General tab.
 * 2) From the Measurement Unit list, select Points. Choose OK.
 * 3) If the ruler does not show, choose Ruler from the View menu.
 * 4) Select the paragraphs to be modified.
 * 5) Double-click the vertical bar marker on the ruler that represents the vertical line that you want to move.
 * 6) In the Position box, type the position (in points) for the new location of the vertical bar. Choose OK.
 * 7) The measurement settings under General can now be changed without affecting the current tab settings.

Word Versions 5.0 and 5.1

 * 1) From the Tools menu, choose Preferences. Choose the General category. From the Measurement Unit list, select Points.
 * 2) If the ruler is not showing, choose Ruler from the View menu.
 * 3) Select the paragraphs to be modified.
 * 4) Double-click the vertical bar marker on the ruler that represents the vertical line that you want to move.
 * 5) In the Position box, type the position (in points) for the new location of the vertical bar. Choose OK.
 * 6) The measurement settings under Preferences can now be changed without affecting the current tab settings.

Word Version 4.0

 * 1) From the Edit menu, choose Preferences, and select Points under Measure. Choose OK. This setting allows tabs and margins to be aligned to an accuracy of 1/72 of an inch.
 * 2) If the ruler is not showing, choose Show Ruler from the Format Menu.
 * 3) Select the paragraphs to be modified.
 * 4) Double-click the vertical bar marker in the ruler that represents the vertical bar that you want to move.
 * 5) In the Position box, type the position (in points) for the new location of the vertical bar. Choose OK.
 * 6) The measurement settings in Preferences can now be changed without affecting the current tab and indent settings.

Word Versions 3.0x

 * 1) Select the paragraphs to be modified.
 * 2) From the Edit menu, choose Preferences, and select Points under Measure. Choose OK. This setting allows tabs and margins to be aligned to an accuracy of 1/72 of an inch.
 * 3) From the Format menu, choose Paragraph.
 * 4) On the ruler, click the vertical line or indent marker to be modified. The Ruler box in the upper-left corner of the Paragraph dialog box will become active.
 * 5) Type the position (in points) in the Ruler box where the selected item should be moved. Choose OK.
 * 6) The measurement setting under Preferences can now be changed back to inches or centimeters without affecting the current tab and indent settings.

MORE INFORMATION
The following are common alignment scenarios:


 * 1) To align a vertical line set at 0 (zero) with a paragraph border that corresponds to a left indent set at 0 inches, use the above process to click the vertical line, then enter &quot;-2 pt&quot; (without quotation marks) in the Position box (Ruler box in Word 3.0x).
 * 2) To align a vertical line set at 6 inches with a paragraph border that corresponds to a right indent set at 6 inches, use the above process to click the vertical line, then enter &quot;433&quot; (without quotation marks) in the Position box (Ruler box in Word 3.0x).
 * 3) To align a vertical line set at 6.5 inches with a paragraph border that corresponds to a right indent set at 6.5 inches, use the above process to click the vertical line, then enter &quot;469&quot; (without quotation marks) in the Position/Ruler box.

If you are using Word 3.0x, here is a useful technique for other alignment situations:


 * 1) Move the Paragraph dialog box until the lines being modified can be seen.
 * 2) Make small adjustments to the Ruler box and use the Apply button to see how the appearance of the document is affected.
 * 3) When the alignment looks correct, click OK.