
– Left indent marker moves both the first-line indent and hanging indent markers at

– Hanging indent maker adjusts the second line indent – First line indent marker adjusts the first-line indent There are several indenting options with these markers: The markers look like this on the Ruler at the top of the screen: If you want a customized indent (an indention more or less than ½ inch), Word provides indent markers that allows users to indent paragraphs to the measurement of their choosing. If there is nothing yet written on the document, press Tab before beginning a new paragraph. Continue placing the cursor at the beginning of paragraphs and repeat. On the Ruler at the top of the screen, the first-line indent marker (the marker pointing down toward the text) will move to the right by ½ inch.ģ. Place your cursor at the very beginning of the paragraph you want to indent.Ģ. This will create a first-line indent of ½ inch.ġ. The quickest way to indent is to use the Tab key.

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. 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.īlock 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. Indent using Microsoft’s indent markers.
