Technobabble
Tabs help page designers align text perfectly
Creative use of tabs/indents, not spaces, makes lining up text easier, more precise
without having to resort to using spaces. And using indents even automates the function of indenting the first line of every paragraph. • By Bradley Wilson
Tabs/indents ensure alignment
T
here are only a couple of “nevers” in desktop publishing. One of those “nevers” is: “Never type more than one consecutive space.” Its corollary is: “Use tabs to align text.” Tabs and indents are not complicated and using them properly can save a lot of time and frustration. Best of all, they can improve the look of the publication. Regardless of whether you’re working in QuarkXPress, Micro soft Word or PageMaker, setting a tab is basically the same. Drag a tab icon onto a ruler. Or click on the ruler. In all cases, the software allows you to pick what type of tab you want to set • a flush left tab aligns things to the left and is most useful for bulleted text; • a flush right tab aligns things to the right and is useful for lines on forms; • a centered tab is useful for columns of short text or numbers; and • a decimal tab where you want the decimal points to line up. NORMAL BODY COPY Tabs and indents can also be used for such routine functions as
26 • Communication: Journalism Education Today
FORMAT PARAGRAPHS
The Paragraph Specifications dialog box allow for quick formatting of indents. Most newspaper stories, for example, have the first line of each paragraph indented one paragraph. You can also separate the first line from other lines in the paragraph by setting the left and first indents separately. The right indent is not often used in publications with narrow columns. However, it can be used to indent long quotations in research papers.
indenting paragraphs. A tab set at one pica (in the Indents/Tabs dialog box) functions as well as a first-line paragraph indent (set through Paragraph Specifications). With a tab, the user has to remember to type a tab at the beginning of each paragraph, something most users are accustomed to. With a first-line indent, the first line after a paragraph return will be indented
automatically. When defining styles for body copy, it’s useful to include both a first-line indent and a tab. That way, regardless of whether the writer uses a tab, the indent will be set properly. A one-pica indent is sufficient for most publications. Wider columns may require tabs of two or three picas. Winter 1998
SAMPLE freshmen basketball strength, structure and strong willed
build character compared to what?
• “We were like the parts of a machine because we came together to form one unit.” David Ridge • “We were like an army boot camp because we were so disciplined.” Tom Baker • “Freshman basketball was like working out because we got stronger as we went along.” Corey Stipp • “It was like being in church because our coach was so strict, and we weren’t allowed to mess around.” Clint Reyes • “We were like a family because we were really close, were all friends, and we taught each other things we didn’t know.” Cameron Tidwell SOURCE: Rocklin HS Tonitrus, 1998; Ken Sisney, yearbook coach; Casey Nichols, adviser
HANGING INDENT WITH TAB
Useful for bulleted or numbered lists. For the sample, there is a tab after the bullet. Each word-wrapped line (after the first line of each paragraph) lines up with the tab. Notice in the paragraph specifications box that the first line is set back one pica from all other lines which are indented one pica.
SAMPLE
SCOREBOARD
TABS WITH LEADERS
Particularly useful for scoreboards and phone lists, tabs ensure that text is aligned properly. Never use multiple spaces to align text. Add a leader to the tab to help the reader follow the lines. To add a leader, select the tab and then select a leader from the drop menu or type in one of your own.
MORE LEADERS
SAMPLE School __________________________________________________________________ Street address ____________________________________________________________ City ______________________________________ State______ ZIP______________ Phone ____________________________ Fax _______________________________
Winter 1998
TEAM.......................... US... THEM Georgetown................24........ 8 Ellison.........................12........ 6 LaGrange....................36........ 7 Judson........................48....... 42 Nottingham................12........ 7 LaPorte........................9......... 7 Arvada........................12........ 3
An underline leader is useful in forms. In the third line of this example, a flush right tab is set to end the underline and a flush left tab indicates where the text (State and ZIP) begin.
Communication: Journalism Education Today • 27