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M
Mckenzie Creative
Participant
February 27, 2018
Answered

Blank underline spaces between tabs

  • February 27, 2018
  • 3 replies
  • 3551 views

Hi I have a tabed price list and I want all the things ie Code description price etc etc to be underlined with a dotted line but I want the line to break between tabs so only the tabs width will be underlined like the attached image

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer Barb Binder

Ok, so I would suggest selecting the text and converting to a table with Table > Convert Text to table. Format the text and table as desired, including removing the default ruling lines above, below and within the table.

Create a paragraph style for the body of the table. I called mine CellBody.

Define a Paragraph rule below, as shown in the ss  below.

For this result:

~Barb

EDIT: I recommend styles over any other approach because you can quickly format whole tables with a single click if you set them up thoughtfully with nested styles. When you have time, read up on paragraph styles, character styles, table and cell styles, and how to nest one within the other. I do a lot of long document layout, and IMHO, it's the only way to go.

3 replies

JonathanArias
JonathanArias
Legend
February 27, 2018

you should do this as a table. not with tabs.

rob day
Community Expert
rob dayCommunity Expert
Community Expert
February 27, 2018

You could follow the tabs with an em or en space. Or a table might make it easier to handle?

Here are evenly spaced, left justified tabs, followed by an Em Space (Type>Insert White Space) with no underline

M
Mckenzie CreativeAuthor
Participant
February 27, 2018

I will give it a go but I presume that it will break the flow of the imported file, that way if it gets altered the flow will not work, which is what I am trying to avoid.

Thank you for your help

Barb Binder
Community Expert
Barb BinderCommunity Expert
Community Expert
February 27, 2018

Are you doing this as a tabbed table, or using the table feature. How to do this depends on your answer.

~Barb at Rocky Mountain Training
M
Mckenzie CreativeAuthor
Participant
February 27, 2018

Thanks for the quick reply I am fairly new to indesign was always Quark for me anyway all I have done is import a .xlsx file straight into a text field as unformatted tabs if that helps

Barb Binder
Community Expert
Barb BinderCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
February 27, 2018

Ok, so I would suggest selecting the text and converting to a table with Table > Convert Text to table. Format the text and table as desired, including removing the default ruling lines above, below and within the table.

Create a paragraph style for the body of the table. I called mine CellBody.

Define a Paragraph rule below, as shown in the ss  below.

For this result:

~Barb

EDIT: I recommend styles over any other approach because you can quickly format whole tables with a single click if you set them up thoughtfully with nested styles. When you have time, read up on paragraph styles, character styles, table and cell styles, and how to nest one within the other. I do a lot of long document layout, and IMHO, it's the only way to go.

~Barb at Rocky Mountain Training
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