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sivey@pdx
Inspiring
October 3, 2018
Answered

Hanging indent for bibliography paragraph style?

  • October 3, 2018
  • 2 replies
  • 4302 views

For InDesign cc for pc:  I have a paragraph style for bibliography, but do not know how to modify it so that bibliography items that are multiple lines indent under the first line (hanging indent?). Here I have just clicked "Tab" to get that effect but it is a very messy way to go about it.

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Correct answer Barb Binder

Hi sivey@pdx:

Here's a visual for you, supporting was was said above:

Each paragraph should be allowed to wrap naturally, without line breaks or tabs—just one ¶ at the end.

Select the paragraphs to which you want to add the hanging indent and edit the left indent value (I used 2p0) and then the first line indent value (I used -2p0). This adds a 2 pica left indent to all of the lines on the paragraphs, and then pulls the first line -2 picas, back to where they started. (You can use inches or any other unit of measure, I just prefer the precision of picas and points.)

~Barb

2 replies

Barb Binder
Community Expert
Barb BinderCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
October 4, 2018

Hi sivey@pdx:

Here's a visual for you, supporting was was said above:

Each paragraph should be allowed to wrap naturally, without line breaks or tabs—just one ¶ at the end.

Select the paragraphs to which you want to add the hanging indent and edit the left indent value (I used 2p0) and then the first line indent value (I used -2p0). This adds a 2 pica left indent to all of the lines on the paragraphs, and then pulls the first line -2 picas, back to where they started. (You can use inches or any other unit of measure, I just prefer the precision of picas and points.)

~Barb

~Barb at Rocky Mountain Training
    Jongware
    Community Expert
    JongwareCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    October 3, 2018

    Pretty much the same way as in your previous can i make word-wrap lines line up?

    But there is a huge problem with your text. Why are you using shift+enters at the end of every line? I mean, sure, for now it appears to work for you -- but InDesign's text formatting and styles etc. are built upon the premise that paragraphs are separated by a simple single return.

    I can't help noticing you have been (valiantly!) struggling with fairly basic operations since about the start of this year. I don't know if it has been suggested before, but you may want to take a look at some Lynda courses. Imagine how much time and frustration it would have saved you by now.

    M
    Migintosh
    Legend
    October 3, 2018

    I second that notion. You have one single paragraph, but if you had a full paragraph return ¶ at the end of each of the first two lines, and then one after 1978 in the 4th, followed by one after County. in the 5th, etc., you could set a left indent where you want the subsequent lines of a paragraph to begin, and a negative of that amount for the first line indent, which will bring each first line back to the left side of the text frame. And I definitely wouldn't use what you have in the last two entries, where a tab brings your text down to a new line. That's what we used to have to do in the typewriter days.

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