Participant

Answered

Line up periods after footnote numbers

Forum|Forum|3 years ago
February 3, 2023
5 replies
1290 views

Is there a way to line up the periods that come after footnote numbers? I can't figure out how to automatically insert a tab before the numbers so that I can set the first tab as a decimal tab. Here is how I want the footnotes to look:

9. Footnote text

10. Footnote text

How to

This topic has been closed for replies.

Correct answer Barb Binder

Got it. Thanks, @James Gifford—NitroPress.

@Wren1080L: You can use a GREP Find/Change to assign the leading tabs all at one time. If the style has the tabs set us per @Steve Werner, the periods will line up at at point.

~Barb

Barb Binder

Community Expert

We are always happy to help, @Wren1080.

~Barb

~Barb at Rocky Mountain Training

W

Wren1080Author

Participant

Thanks so much! This solution is going to save me a ton of time. I really appreciate the help.

Barb Binder

Correct answer

Community Expert

Got it. Thanks, @James Gifford—NitroPress.

@Wren1080L: You can use a GREP Find/Change to assign the leading tabs all at one time. If the style has the tabs set us per @Steve Werner, the periods will line up at at point.

~Barb

~Barb at Rocky Mountain Training

Steve Werner

Community Expert

Very clever, thanks, Barb and James!

Barb Binder

Community Expert

The collaboration is one of the parts of the forum I like best.

~Barb

~Barb at Rocky Mountain Training

James Gifford—NitroPress

Legend

ID does not allow you to lead the footnote configuration string with a tab. It's a hole in the capabilities, IMHO.

~~I am not sure there's another workaround to get this format, which is both my preference and (I believe) the proper layout.~~

ETA: If you set up the paragraph style with tabs, as Steve suggests, you can manually add the first tab after the footnote is created. I'd forgotten that. 😛 Still a hack that should not be needed.

Steve Werner

Community Expert

James,

I think you're right. I had never done it but I realize that in InDesign the footnote cannot consist of <number> < period> <tab><footnote text>.

The number has to be the same number as the footnote reference in the text.

James Gifford—NitroPress

Legend

See ETAs. You can add a tab, but you can't specify it to appear automatically.

Steve Werner

Community Expert

You can create a Paragraph Style for format the footnote in Type > Document Footnote Options.

In the Paragraph Style, go to Tabs and set a right aligned tab for the number followed by a period, and a second tab aligned left for the footnote text.

James Gifford—NitroPress

Legend

I don't think this works, Steve. Footnotes can't begin with a leading tab, unless I've missed something on several rounds of trying to achieve this formatting. ETA: It works only with a manual tab added. I'm not sure that worked in some prior version, though.

It does work for every other numbering setup, AFAIK.

Sign up

To post, reply, or follow discussions, please sign in with your Adobe ID.

Sign in to Adobe Community

To post, reply, or follow discussions, please sign in with your Adobe ID.

Scanning file for viruses.

This file cannot be downloaded