How to use the text editing ruler in Visio

In Microsoft Visio, the text ruler lets you adjust the left, right, and first indents. Additionally, the ruler lets you specify tab stops. The ruler is available only when you are editing a text block.

To use the ruler, you must begin to edit text by either double-clicking a shape or by typing while a shape is selected. To display a text ruler, follow these steps:

1. Right-click along the right edge of the text box, away from any existing text.
2. On the shortcut menu, click Text Ruler.
   
   The ruler displays the settings for the indents and tab stops of the selected paragraph, or the one in which the insertion point (cursor) is located.

Note After you turn on the text ruler, it appears in each text block that you work in. Visio also saves the Text Ruler setting between sessions.

Ruler scale

The ruler scale displays measurements at the scale of the drawing. Use the ruler scale to define positions of indents and tab stops. The scale adjusts automatically as you change the zoom factor, page units, or screen resolution. The unit of measure for the scale is either inches or centimeters, depending upon the unit of measure as defined by the page drawing scale.

Default tab stop increments

Directly beneath the ruler scale is a sequence of tick marks that spans the entire length of the scale and denote default tab stops. The scale adjusts automatically you change the zoom factor, page units, or screen resolution.

Ruler adjustable controls

The ruler contains the following controls: tab icon, left indent, right indent, first indent, and hanging indent. All adjustable controls are positioned on the scale in units of measure as defined by the ruler scale.

To change the indentation of the current paragraph, drag the indent controls. While you drag the indent, Visio displays a shadow image of the indent at its original position.

Left indent

The left indent specifies the indentation from the left margin for the second and subsequent lines in a paragraph. You can only move the left indent control between the left margin and the right indent control.

Right indent

The right indent specifies the indentation from the right margin for all lines in a paragraph. You can only move the right indent control between the right margin and either the left indent control or the first indent control, whichever is farther to the right.

First indent

The first indent specifies the indentation from the left margin for the first line in a paragraph. You can place this indent either before or after the left indent. You can only move the first indent control between the left margin and the right indent control.

Hanging indent

The hanging indent lets you adjust the left and first indents together, so that they maintain the same relative offset to each other. The hanging indent control is limited in its movement by rules specified by the positions of the left and first indent controls.

Tab icon

The tab icon lets you specify the default tab stop style that Visio uses when you add new tab stops. To change to the next style, click the tab icon. The style choices are: left, right, centered, and decimal.

Tab stops

Tab stops let you align text as left, centered, right, or along a decimal point.

• A left tab stop extends text to the right from the tab stop position.
  
• A centered tab stop centers text at the tab stop position.
  
• A right tab stop extends text to the left from the tab stop position.
  
• A decimal tab stop aligns a decimal point at the tab stop position. Text or numbers without a decimal point extend to the left of the tab stop position.

To add a new tab stop, click underneath the ruler scale. Each paragraph is limited to 60 tab stops. If you attempt to add a sixty-first tab stop, Visio beeps.

While you drag a tab stop, Visio displays a shadow image of the tab stop at its original position.