How to Do First Line Hanging in Word

Microsoft Word is the world's most popular word-processing program not only because of the marketing genius of its manufacturer but because it contains many useful features. By clicking a virtual button or choosing menu items, you can easily apply different-sized fonts, create tables with borders of different colors, define indexes with automatically updated page numbers or transform jumbles of text into easy-to-read layouts. One interesting format that you apply on a paragraph level is the first-line hanging indent.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Choosing Paragraphs

1. Click on the paragraph in which to apply the hanging indent. Your cursor blinks within the text.

2. Choose more than one paragraph by pressing the "Shift" key and click on the first paragraph. Then drag the selection to the last paragraph.

3. Choose all of the paragraphs in the document by pressing the "Control" and "A" keys.

4. Format your selections on the fly or with a style.

Formatting on the Fly

5. Apply the format on the fly by choosing the "Format" menu and "Paragraph" to display the "Paragraph" dialogue.

6. Choose the "Indents and Spacing" tab. In the "Special" drop-down menu under "Indentation," choose "Hanging." Then specify the number of inches to indent the line using the "By" drop-down menu.

7. Click "OK" to apply the hanging indent to the paragraph.

Formatting with Styles

8. Apply the format to a Style, so you can apply it to current and future paragraphs with a menu choice. Choose the "Format" menu and then "Style" to display the "Style" dialogue. Then click "New" to display the "New Style" dialogue.

9. Enter a name for the format like "Hanging" into the Name box. Leave "Paragraph" under "Style Type" and "Normal" under "Based On."

10. Click "Format" and then "Paragraph" to display the "Paragraph" dialogue.

11. Choose the "Indents and Spacing" tab. In the "Special" drop-down menu under "Indentation," choose "Hanging." Then specify the number of inches to indent the line using the "By" drop-down menu. Click "OK" to close the "New Style" dialogue and save your definition, and then "OK" again to close the "Style" dialogue.
    
    When you want to use the style, click anywhere in a paragraph and then choose "Hanging" from the "Style" drop-down menu.

References

• Hanging Indent