Word - Creating Tabs and Bar Tabs

There are two ways of setting tabs in Microsoft Word.

Tab Method I
    Select on the ruler where you want a tab to be set and then select the type of tab you want from the Tab Selector.
Tab Method 2
    Select tabbing options on the Tabs dialog box.

You can also do a combination. Set some of them on the ruler and others from the Tabs dialog box.

Look at the tabs below. The first column is left justified. The second column is centered. The third column is right justified. The fourth column is aligned by a decimal point.

Word shows different Tabs

To make the tabbed data single spaced you should click on the ribbon's Design tab then in the Document Formatting group click on Paragraph Spacing and select No Paragraph Space.

Word Paragraph Spacing

Setting Tabs using the Word Ruler

If the ruler isn't visible above the document you will need to select the Ruler option on the View tab in the Show group.

  Select Ruler from Word's View Tab

The Tab Selector appears to the left of the ruler. It is currently showing a left tab. Each time you click on the Tab Selector it changes to a different Tab or Indent type.

Word's Tab Selector

The table below shows the meaning of the different tabs.

Meaning of Tab selector buttons
Left
Tab		 Center
Tab		 Right
Tab		 Decimal Alignment
Tab		 Bar
Tab		 First Line
Indent		 Hanging
Indent
Word Left Tab Selector Word Center Tab Selector Word Right Tab Selector Word Decimal Alignment Tab Selector Word Bar Tab Selector Word First Line Indent  Word Haning Indent Selector
 

After you have selected the type of Tab you want to use click on the ruler where you want the tab to appear.
In the example below the Left Indent tab was selected and then the one inch mark was clicked on the ruler.

Word Tab Selector

To create the tabbed information as shown below you would click on the Tab selector until the Left Tab icon is showing, then click on the 1" ruler mark. You would then click on the Tab Selector again until you came to the Center Tab, then click on the 2.5 inch mark on the ruler. Next, you would click on the Tab Selector until you came to the Right tab, then click on the 4.5 inch mark. Lastly, you would click on the Tab Selector until you came to the Decimal Tab, then you would click on the 5.5 inch mark. 

After you have the tabs set up you can start entering the data.  Press the Tab key to get to the first tab.  Type Rhianna then press the tab key before typing the data in each of the other columns.  Press the enter key at the end of each line.

Word shows different Tabs

Note:
You can reposition any of the tabs on the ruler by dragging it where you want it to be. If you have already entered any text it will be adjusted to the new tab position. If you want to see the exact ruler position hold down the Alt key as you drag the tab. To remove a tab just drag it into your document.

The video below shows how to select spacing and how to set the ruler tabs.

 

Exercise for Creating a Bar Tab on the Ruler

In this exercise you will create the Training dates below that contains a bar tab. No, not the kind of tab you owe when you drink too much.  

    Result of Using a Bar Tab
  1. Use the short cut for centering text, press Ctrl + E. Type TRAINING DATES then press the Enter key.
  2. On the ribbon's Home tab, in the paragraph group, click the Align left button.
  3. Click on the tab selector until the Left Tab is displayed. Click on the 2 1/8" mark on the ruler.
  4. Click on the tab selector until the Bar Tab is displayed. Click on the 3 1/8" mark on the ruler
  5. Click on the tab selector until the Left Tab is displayed. Click on the 3 1/2" mark on the ruler.
  6. Press the tab key and type January 9. The bar tab is automatically entered for you.
  7. Press the tab key and type February 6. To make the dates single spaced use the short cut keys Shift + Enter
  8. Press tab then type January 17. Continue entering the rest of the dates.
  9. After you have entered the last date press the Enter key.
  10. Drag the 2 left tabs and the bar tab you created off of the ruler. You are ready to type other text.

Select tabbing options on the Tabs dialog box.

You can use Word's Tab dialog box to accomplish the same thing you did with the ruler. Let's set the same tabs as you did above but this time we will use the Tab dialog box. The Tab dialog box can be accessed by clicking on the ribbon's home tab then selecting the dialog box launcher Group Dialog Box Launcherfor the paragraph group.  This brings up the Paragraph dialog box. 

If you want the tabbed data to be single spaced do the following:
  1. Select Single from the drop down box.
  2. Select "Don't add space between paragraphs of the same style.

Word set single spacing


Click on the Tabs button (3) at the bottom of the Paragraph dialog box.   This brings up the Tabs dialog box.

Word Tab dialog box

All existing tabs for the current documents appear in the Tab stop position list box. If you click on one of the stops it will show what type of tab it is. Clicking on 2.5 in the Tab stop position shows that this a Center tab.

Currently set Tab positions

Clicking on the Clear All button will clear all of the tab positions.

Note:
If the cursor is above any text in the Word document when you click the Clear All button the text will loose all of its tab formatting.
  1. Select the type of tab from the Alignment area.
  2. Enter the ruler position in the Tab stop position. Entering 1 would be 1 inch.
  3. Click the Set button.

Word steps for entering tabs

Replace the 1 with 2.5 for the Tab stop position.  Select Center for the Alignment.  Click on the Set button.

Word Center Tab

To add a Right tab at the 4.5 inch mark, enter 4.5 over the 2.5, select Right, click on the Set button.
To add a Decimal tab at the 5.5 inch mark, enter 5.5 over the 4.5, select Decimal, click on the Set button.
Click on the OK button.
The marks will appear on the ruler.
You are ready to start typing.
The video below displays how to set these tabs.

 

Create A Bar tab from the Tabs Dialog Box

In this exercise you will create the Training dates below that contains a bar tab. You will create the tabs using options from the Paragraph Dialog Box.

     Result of Using a Bar Tab
Perform the following steps.
  1. Use the short cut for centering text, press Ctrl + E. Type TRAINING DATES then press the Enter key.
  2. On the ribbon's Home tab, in the Paragraph group, click the Align Left button.
  3. Access the Paragraph Dialog Box by clicking on the ribbon's Home tab then selecting the dialog box launcher for the paragraph group.  This brings up the Paragraph Dialog Box.
  4. Click on the Tabs button.
  5. If there are existing tabs that you want to remove select them and then click the Clear button.
  6. Enter 2.13 in the Tab stop position text box. Select Left for the Alignment. Click on the Set button.
  7. Enter 3.25 in the Tab stop position text box. Select Bar for the Alignment. Click on the Set button.
  8. Enter 3.25 in the Tab stop position text box. Select Left for the Alignment. Click on the Set button.
    Tab settings for Bar Tab exercise
  9. Click on the OK button.
  10. Press the tab key and type January 9. The bar tab is automatically entered for you.
  11. Press the tab key and type February 6. To make the dates single spaced use the short cut keys Shift + Enter
  12. Press tab then type January 17. Continue entering the rest of the dates.
  13. After you have entered the last date press the Enter key.
  14. Drag the 2 left tabs and the bar tab you created off of the ruler. You are ready to type other text.