Skip to main content
Known Participant
November 14, 2022
Answered

Number the paragraphs on a distant side. while keeping the alinea.

  • November 14, 2022
  • 5 replies
  • 2478 views

Hello!

How to have the paragraphs numbered on the left side like this:

 

 

I want to have the paragraph numbered on the left, but I want to keep the alinea of the first line.

And I don't want this:

 

 

Thank you!

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer pixxxelschubser

This seems a bit "like a shot from behind through the chest into the eye", but it works for me without any extra tab in the text or find&change - just write and apply the paragraph style:

Only two paragraph marks inserted in the text (pressed Enter twice)

 

The setting is a little tricky and does not work with all values. You have to play a little with the settings and also with the number of characters in the numbering format. But you don't need extra characters in the normal text.

 

 

 

5 replies

pixxxelschubser
Community Expert
Community Expert
November 14, 2022

Just as an addition: The tabulator in the paragraph style gives you control over the spacing of your text to the characters you have defined in the numbering format.

 

 

Barb Binder
Community Expert
Community Expert
November 14, 2022

But if that was the only solution, thank you!

There is a feature specifically for aligning punctuation in Bullets and Numbering dialog box. 

 

Choose Alignment: Right, increase the Left Indent and decrease the First Line Indent until you get the desired result (and keep preview enabled so that you can see it in real time). Then save the results as a paragraph style so that you can assign the formatting to the rest of your book with a single click.

 

 

I wrote this up years ago and while the screen shots show their age, it still works the exact same way. 

https://www.rockymountaintraining.com/adobe-indesign-aligning-punctuation-in-numbered-lists/

 

~Barb

~Barb at Rocky Mountain Training
giobdAuthor
Known Participant
November 14, 2022

Thank you for this additionnal trick! (I did not try it yet, I'm not at this point yet.)

pixxxelschubser
Community Expert
pixxxelschubserCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
November 14, 2022

This seems a bit "like a shot from behind through the chest into the eye", but it works for me without any extra tab in the text or find&change - just write and apply the paragraph style:

Only two paragraph marks inserted in the text (pressed Enter twice)

 

The setting is a little tricky and does not work with all values. You have to play a little with the settings and also with the number of characters in the numbering format. But you don't need extra characters in the normal text.

 

 

 

giobdAuthor
Known Participant
November 14, 2022

Thank you very much! You had the secret code!

Robert at ID-Tasker
Legend
November 14, 2022

Paragraph Style settings - indents.

Set LEFT indent and then FIRST LINE to a negative value equal to LEFT value. Plus you would need to insert extra tab in front 😉 but it can be done in bulk using Find&Change or GREP. 

 

giobdAuthor
Known Participant
November 14, 2022

That is the issue: I already tried but I loose the alinea of the first line. I did not understand the second part about extra tab.

giobdAuthor
Known Participant
November 14, 2022

You are right - you should ALREADY have extra tab in front so no need for another one - here is the setup of the ParaStyle (with auto numbering):

 

 

 


I set the options like you did I believe, but I have a different result:

Steve Werner
Community Expert
Community Expert
November 14, 2022

One way to do it would be with a 2-column table. Number in the left column, text in the right column.