2012-05-20

WordPerfect - Setting Default Tabs at 1/4 inch

Howto: Set WordPerfect's default tab stops to 1/4 of an inch; much tighter than the default 1/2 inch. 

Set a default tab (ruler-bar) for this and all new documents. By default, tab stops are every 1/2 inch -- which is too wide. Set the tab-settings every 1/4" inch. This also sets a handy Margin Release. This same screen can set a default font, widows and orphans, and other default settings.


This article is a subset of a longer Keyliner article: Using WordPerfect for School Papers.



Setting Tabs:
1.  From any (blank) document, choose top menu Format, Styles: Choose "DocumentStyle"

2.  Click Edit to open the "Style Editor"

Important:  Confirm "[x] Use as default" is checked in the lower-right corner

3.  Click the mouse in the "Contents" text-section

4.  Choose sub-menu, Format, Line, TabSet

5.  Confirm Tab Type = Left

6.  Change Tab Position to -0.5 (negative point 5)

7.  Click box [x] Repeat every .25 (point 25)

8.  Click "Set", then Close.
(Note in the Reveal Codes a new "TabSet".  There should only be one TabSet code; delete any duplicates or older codes you may find before making the new tab-setting.)

Also Recommended:

While in the same Contents Text box, you can also set these recommended settings:
  • Default Font
  • Default Font Size
  • Widow and Orphan Protection (Keep Text Together)
End results look like this:

Click for larger view


Margin Release Example:

Notice how tab stops are set 1/2" to the left of the Left margin (-.5) -- this is called a "Margin Release." Often, in a paper, a Hanging Header is needed. With this setting, you can quickly type a bolded title that "sticks out past the margin" without having to fiddle with the ruler-bar or with margins.

Click illustration for a larger view; click right-x to return

To use the Margin Release:
  • At the beginning of a paragraph, press Shift-Tab to hang the heading. Press shift-tab a second time to go one more stop to the left.

I had so much fun writing my programming books, I wrote a book about WordPerfect.
Search Amazon for "Adventures with WordPerfect". 

This book goes into much more detail about tabs, protecting text, and other topics of interest.


Related articles:
Using WordPerfect for School Papers
Protect Text Across Page Breaks
Hanging Indents past Left Margin
WordPerfect Sets Tabs in White Space



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