Project 1: Word Basics
Ruler

A ruler is used to measure distances, of course. Word and other word processors have built-in rulers. So, you do not have to hold a physical ruler up to the screen to try and figure out how big something is on the page you are creating. That would not work well anyway. Most monitors are a bit curved, so the ruler won't lay flat. Worst of all, the size on the screen is not the same as the size on the printed paper. It's enough to drive you crazy! Thank goodness for the built-in rulers.

What distances might you need to measure in a word processing document??

• page width and height
• margins - top, bottom, left, right
• header and footer heights
• column widths
• table cell width and height
• tab indentions
• image size or distance from other page parts

The Ruler

The horizontal ruler is used for more than just measuring the width of your page. With it you can set page margins, paragraph indents, tab stops, and column widths. If your pointer hovers over a part of the ruler, a popup tip will show you what the part does (but not in Word 95).

The vertical ruler is shown in Print Preview and Page Layout views. With it you can adjust top and bottom margins and row height in tables.

For precise measurements it may be easier to use the  Format  menu, choosing either  Paragraph , Tab , or  Columns , whichever is appropriate.

You cannot use the ruler to set everything about the layout of the page. Other settings are in the Page Setup dialog. To open this dialog you can double-click the ruler or select  File  |  Page Setup .

Margins are set with a ruler by dragging the boundary between the gray and white sections.

Holding the ALT key down while dragging will display exact measurements.

Paragraph indentions are set by dragging the pointers. The upper one, on the left of the ruler, sets the first line indent (the amount the first line of a paragraph is indented). The bottom pointer on the left of the ruler sets the left indent of other lines. Dragging the box below the pointer moves both pointers at the same time. The pointer on the far right sets the right indent. To see the full dialog box of settings, double-click one of the pointers. Be precise in where you click. This one is easy to miss.

A tab stop is a spot the cursor goes to when you press the TAB key. These are very useful for lining things up without having to create a table.

Tab stops are set by default at a half inch, or 1.25 cm. These are shown by tiny gray marks below the ruler marks. When you insert your own tab stop, the default ones to the left of yours are erased

To insert your own tab stop, first select the type by clicking the  at the far left of the ruler to toggle it through the choices:

• Left justified at the tab
• Right justified at the tab
• Centered on the tab
• Justified on the decimal at the tab.

Then click on the ruler in the white space at the point where you want your tab stop. You can move it by dragging it. Remove a tab stop that you inserted by dragging it off the ruler. You can bring up the Tabs dialog box from the menu  Format  |  Tabs…  or by double-clicking the tab or the gray bar under the ruler

[In Word 95 you would double-right-click to open the Tabs dialog. An unusual action!]

~~  1 Cor. 10:31 ...whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.  ~~

Last updated: 30 Apr 2012