Bullet point lists and outlines can be very handy tools for simplifying and organizing text. However, styling these lists isn’t always intuitive. If you’ve ever tried to modify the spacing or indentation in a list or renumber a list, you probably know what I’m talking about. Today, we’ll explore some simple ways to style your next bulleted list.
Bullet Shape
Clicking the icon next to the bullet icon will quickly switch from bullets to numbers.
In fact, all of the spacing/indenting tips below apply to numbered lists, as well. Sometimes a dot doesn’t seem like the right bullet shape. For example, if you’re making a checklist, empty boxes might make better bullets. Another use might be listing action items with forward-pointing arrow bullets to give the visual sense of motion.
Word
To edit the bullet’s shape, click on the arrow next to the bullet icon in the top ribbon. If you don’t see a style you want, select Define New Bullet to create one:
Docs
The process is the same in Google Docs, though the options are different:
While there isn’t an option to define a new bullet, the checklist menu gives you the option of striking through the content of bullets that have been checked off.
Spacing/Indentation
Word
To indent the whole list, select the whole list and use the “indent” button in the ribbon:
Note: If you do not select the whole list before clicking indent, only the line that is selected will be indented. That will turn it into a hierarchy.
To change the spacing between the bullet and the following text, select the whole list and right-click. Select Adjust List Indents:
Edit the measurements and select OK:
To change the spacing between list items, start by selecting the whole list. Click the arrow next to the line spacing icon in the top ribbon and select Line Spacing Options:
Adjust the spacing after the paragraph to be larger or smaller than the current spacing. Important: Uncheck “Do not add space between paragraphs of the same style” before clicking OK to save the setting.
Docs
To indent whole list, select the whole list and use the “indent” button in the ribbon:
Again, if you do not select the whole list, only the current list item will be indented, creating a hierarchy.
Changing the spacing between bullets and following text is a bit more complicated in Docs. First, select the bulleted list. Then look at the ruler at the top of the page:
Drag the bottom arrow to move the selected text closer to or farther from the bullet point, represented by the flat line above the arrow.
To change spacing between list items, click the spacing icon (arrows up and down) and select Custom Spacing:
Edit the values as needed and Apply.
Summary
Formatting bullets can be tricky, but once you know how to find the settings, it becomes a breeze! For more tips on getting your bullets to behave, including in other apps, check out these Tech-Talk articles about bullets. I found one of their articles, Take Control of Misbehaving Bullets and Numbering, quite helpful.
