13. Apply Paragraph Formatting
12 Apply Character Formatting 14 Set Up Page Formatting You can change the format of entire paragraphs of text, such as the line spacing, justification, and indention of text. You can apply that format to selected paragraphs or to all the paragraphs in your document.
Determine the paragraph text's position in relation to the right and left margins.
- Left
Aligns (makes even) text with the left margin. Personal and business letters are often left-justified. - Center
Centers text between the left and right margins. Titles and letterheads are often centered atop a document.13. Apply Paragraph Formatting
[View full size image] - Right
Aligns text with the right margin, and the left margin's text is not kept straight. - Justified
Aligns text with both the left and right margins. Newspaper and magazine columns are usually justified; the text aligns with the left and right margins evenly.
Writer provides many additional ways to format your paragraphs, such as the capability to put a border around them and indent the first lines.
1. | Select Text Select the text you want to format. As 11 About Paragraph Breaks and Tabs explains, Writer considers all text up to the next nonprinting paragraph symbol to be one paragraph. If you apply a paragraph format to any part of a paragraph, the entire paragraph changes to reflect the new format. You can format multiple paragraphs at once by selecting multiple paragraphs before changing the format.11 About Paragraph Breaks and Tabs ).The Drop Caps page lets you specify a drop cap letter format to start your paragraphs with. The Borders page enables you to create borders around paragraphs, color them, and add drop shadows. A large starting letter or word, sometimes twice the size of the other letters in the same paragraph, that provides a visual starting point for paragraphs of text.14 Set Up Page Formatting explains how to create such a border. |
7. | Review the Border Once you've set up a bordered paragraph, click OK to close the Paragraph dialog box and review the bordered paragraph to ensure you've got the right effect. Remember to reserve your use of borders, shadowing, and other special effects for those times when you want to emphasize a title or a statement. Don't overdo the use of special formats. Your document can look too busy with too many formats, making it difficult to read. |