The alignment settings control the horizontal position of the paragraph text between the page margins. The Paragraph dialog box Configure alignment The ruler is often hidden to provide more space for the document content. You can modify a paragraph’s left and right edge alignment and vertical spacing by using tools on the Home tab of the ribbon, and its left and right indents from the Home tab, the Layout tab, or the ruler. Collectively, the settings you use to vary the look of a paragraph are called paragraph formatting. You can also place borders around it and shade its background. You can change the look of a paragraph by changing its indentation, alignment, and line spacing, in addition to the vertical space before and after it.

Sometimes displaying these hidden characters makes it easier to accomplish a task or understand a structural problem. Paragraph marks and other structural characters (such as spaces, line breaks, and tabs) are usually hidden, but you can display them. Every paragraph ends with a paragraph mark, which looks like a backward P (¶). A paragraph can contain one word, one sentence, or multiple sentences. Apply paragraph formattingĪ paragraph is created by entering text and then pressing the Enter key. This chapter guides you through procedures related to applying character and paragraph formatting, structuring content manually, creating and modifying lists, applying styles to text, and changing a document’s theme. In addition, you can change the fonts, colors, and effects throughout a document with one click by applying a theme. To keep the appearance of documents and other Microsoft Office files consistent, you can format document elements by applying predefined sets of formatting called styles. You can achieve dramatic flair by applying predefined WordArt text effects. In a short document or one that doesn’t require a complex navigational structure, you can easily format words and paragraphs so that key points stand out and the structure of your document is clear. Word 2019 provides a variety of simple-to-use tools that you can use to apply sophisticated formatting and create a navigational structure.

You can provide structure and meaning by formatting the text in various ways. Documents contain text that conveys information to readers, but the appearance of the document content also conveys a message.

Excel different margins on first page