Red line in Word. Red line in Word: simple options on how to set an indent or paragraph in word

Everyone should know what a red line is. This is the name for a small indentation of the first line of a paragraph some distance to the right from the left edge. However, not everyone knows how to correctly make such an indentation in MS Word. In this review we will talk about how to make a red line in MS Word. We will consider all possible methods, and also clearly demonstrate the stages of performing these actions. In this case, all versions of the program will be considered.

Making a red line in Word using a ruler

First, let's look at the first method by which you can make a red line in MS Word. This method consists of using a ruler. It is disabled by default, so you will have to do everything yourself. To do this, go to the “View” tab in the “Show” section, check the box next to the “Ruler” item. However, this was far from the only way in which you can enable a ruler in MS Word. You can use a special button for this purpose, which is located above the scroll bar. This icon is missing in the latest version of the program. So, when the ruler is enabled, you will be able to see it at the top of the document under the toolbar. This ruler will be used to create the red line. When all the preliminary steps before setting the red line in Word have been completed, we proceed directly to the process itself. On the ruler you can see two sliders on the left. We will be interested in the top one. Start dragging it to the right while holding down the left mouse button. As a result, you will be able to see how the first line of text begins to shift. Now you know how to make a red line in Word. But that was only one way. Let's move on to the second

How to make a red line using tabs?

The second method seems to some users to be much easier than the first. In this case, you will not need to perform any preliminary manipulations. Let's figure out how to make the first line in MS Word using tabs. To set a tab, you need to press the TAB key. First place the cursor at the beginning of the first line of the paragraph. When you press a key, a red line will appear. The advantage of this method is that it is performed quite quickly. The disadvantage is that if there are many paragraphs in the text, then the red line will have to be done manually each time, and this can take a lot of time. Let's look at the third method, which allows you to create red lines in all paragraphs at once.

Making a red line using the “Paragraph” item

When performing this method, we will use the Paragraph settings. First, you need to select the text where you want to indent. After that, in the “Home” tab, click on the arrow in the “Paragraph” section. As a result, a window will open. Here you need to pay attention to the “Indentation” item. To the right of it there is a drop-down list called “first row”. After clicking on it, you need to select “Indent” and enter the required value in the field on the right. When you click on the “OK” button, a red line will appear in your document in those paragraphs that were highlighted.

How to make a red line in MS Word 2003 version

In Word 2003, the red line is done in the same way as in all the methods described above. But there is one feature - differences in the interface. For example, if you want to make a red line using the Paragraph setting, you won't find the corresponding icon here. It simply doesn't exist. To call up the menu, you will need to select an area of ​​text, and then right-click on it and select “Paragraph”.

To create a document, you need to know how to make a red line in Word. The Word test processor has many functions that make working with text easier.

In order for the text to be readable and better perceived by the user, it must be formatted using the built-in capabilities of the Word program.

What is a red line in Word?

The red line is a paragraph indentation in the text of the user document. Indenting text is one of the main and most convenient formatting methods.

Let's look at how to create and configure a red line in a more advanced version of the 2003 word processor.

The interface of this program differs from the appearance presented in the latest versions of the program, so the process of creating a red stitch is also slightly different.

Follow the instructions to set up paragraphs in your document:

  • Click the right mouse button on any place in the text. A pop-up window will appear in which you need to select the “Paragraph” item, as shown in the screenshot below;

Advice! In the window that opens, the user will be able to configure some parameters of the red time frame, which will be displayed throughout the document. To apply settings for only a few paragraphs, select the required text with the mouse and repeat step 1.

  • In the new window, adjust the indentation. To create a red line, only adjust the left indent to 1.5 or 1.25 cm - the optimal indent options. Click OK and the text will be formatted automatically.

You might also like these articles:

Red line using a ruler

You can also customize the red line using the standard tool in Word - the ruler.

If the ruler is disabled in your document, you can connect it as follows:

In the “Markup” tab on the toolbar, check the box next to the ruler, as shown in the figure below. By unchecking the box, you can instantly disable the ruler.

Please note that the ruler has some kind of sliders. The figure below shows a slider that adjusts the text indentation on the left.

Hold and adjust the slider to add paragraphs throughout the text. The ruler is one of the most convenient ways to create a red line in Word.

With its help, you can customize all the paragraphs in a file in a matter of seconds, and they will all be exactly the same.

Red line using standard tools

To configure using standard tools, follow the instructions:

  • Click on the "Interval" key. It is located in the main tab on the toolbar;
  • Select the window for other interval options, as shown in the figure;

Preparation of documents is subject to certain requirements. One of the most common requirements is that a paragraph must begin with a red line, that is, with a larger indent from the edge than the rest of the text.

Let's figure out in practice how you can make a red line in Word text and what difficulties may arise.

Red line - why is it needed?

The red line, along with the fields, are an important part of the text document. In many ways, this is associated with the psychological characteristics of human perception of the eyes and brain.

For example, about 1/5 of the page area is occupied by margins. At the same time, the margins on the top, bottom and sides have different sizes.

Conduct a very simple experiment, find any text document, preferably so that the letters completely fill the sheet and cut the margins to zero. Now answer the question, which is easier to read, with or without margins?

The same laws apply to works of art. Imagine the “Three Heroes” painted at the right corner of the picture. The composition will be irrevocably damaged.

A huge number of publishers, book artists, type designers and printers deal with such issues. These are the psychological aspects of human perception and processing of information.

“Red lines”, paragraphs, drop caps and spaces in stripes of text are part of these aspects.

Thanks to the red line, the text becomes clearer, easier to read and perceive. It begins new paragraphs into which the document is divided according to its meaning.

The red line indicates a new thought, a semantic segment.

But why is this indentation called “red”?

According to one version, in ancient times, all documents began with an initial letter, which was artistically depicted, had a certain meaning and... very often depicted in red.

Let's figure out how to set a red line in Word documents.

What size of red line to use according to GOST

I remember from school when a red line was marked by placing two fingers on the corner of a notebook sheet. Where the second finger ended, the red line should begin.

At school they were taught to do the right things, but over time a person grows and changes, and where the student’s two fingers previously ended, everything will be different for an adult.

The red line has very specific dimensions, which are prescribed according to GOST.

Unlike other indents, the size of the red line for all types of documents according to GOST is the same: 1.25 cm.

Regardless of whether a coursework, abstract, dissertation, or just a document is being printed, the requirements for the first indentation in a paragraph are the same.

How to make a red line in Word

In all versions of the Word editor, you can indent in several ways. In this section we will look at each method separately, but you should understand that each method is used for specific needs and under certain conditions.

Set red line using Tab key

The option is quick and simple. Necessary:

  1. Place the courses at the beginning of the line of the paragraph of interest.
  2. Press the "Tab" key.

The latest versions of keyboards do not contain a label on the “TAB” button, but have a side arrow design.

When pressed, an indent appears from the edge of the text. When you select all the text and press the TAB key, the indentation appears not only at the beginning of the paragraph, but the entire text is shifted to the right.

If you need to indent each paragraph and there are many of them, this method is problematic. It's easier to set up a command for the entire document at once.

Setting the indentation for the red line

Electronic documents do not always need to add a red line, but if this is necessary, it is better to use the indentation settings and set the rule to start each paragraph with a red line.

You can configure the red line in Word (no matter what version) in the following way:

  1. Select all text in the document using the "Select All" button on the main tab, or press "Ctrl" + "A".

    By the way, in the article “”, it was explained in detail how text can be highlighted. Be sure to read this article, as the topic is extremely important for Word users.

  2. Click on the right mouse button and select “Paragraph” from the list. A window opens in which you can set the indentation value for the first line. Write the desired value and click “OK”.
  3. The same can be done using the “Page Layout” tab, find the “Paragraph” subsection and click on the arrow in the lower right corner. In the “Indentation” block, set the indentation for the first line.

If you do not first select all the text, the red line will appear only in the paragraph where the cursor was.

Indent the red line using markers

A red line paragraph can be made using ruler markers. In this case, it will not be possible to set any exact value, which can be attributed to the disadvantages, but if compliance with GOST or other rules is not required, this method will be the fastest.

  1. Activate the ruler on the “View” tab using the “Ruler” command, where you need to check the box. Ruler divisions will appear at the top and left of the document.
  2. Select the entire text of the document.
  3. There are two markers on the ruler: a marker pointing down and a marker pointing up. Move the marker pointing down to the right side. A red line indentation appears for all paragraphs in the document.

A marker pointing down will move only the first line of each paragraph. The marker pointing up will move all the text.

Creating a new style “With red line”

When working with Word documents, I came across problems when, for several documents, it was necessary to indent a certain size for the red line.

Time is the most precious thing we have, and we need to be able to save it. Having created a style with the necessary parameters, it will be enough to apply it to the current document, which saves time significantly by preventing a series of manipulations.

Creating your own style is a long process, but once you create it, you can always use it.

  1. Find the “Styles” subsection on the main tab.
  2. By right-clicking on any of them, select “Change...”. A window opens with many options.
  3. We set everything that may be required: font size, text alignment, and others. Click on the “Format” button at the bottom of the window and select “Paragraph”. For the first line, set the indent and its size.
  4. In order to be able to use it in the future, select the “Add to the list of express styles” checkbox. It is usually selected automatically. We put an end to the option “In new documents using this template.”

How to change the red line

You may come across a document in which, when formatting, the operator set a certain red line paragraph size. It’s good if this size meets our requirements, otherwise we will have to change the size of the red line.

In fact, changing the indentation is no different from the topic described above, answering the question “How to indent a red line.”

  1. Select the entire text.
  2. Go to the “Paragraph” settings by right-clicking on the text and selecting the “Paragraph” command.
  3. In the “Indentation” block, set the indentation of the first line paragraph.

By the way, when it is known in advance that a red paragraph line should be present in the document, it can be set before typing. Then, every first line of every paragraph will automatically start with a red line.

How to remove the red line

In the previous section, we considered a case in which it was necessary to change the existing indentation.

Also, there are cases when paragraph indentation needs to be removed altogether.

  1. Select the entire text or the section in which you want to remove the red line.
  2. Go to the “Paragraph” settings by right-clicking on the text and selecting the “Paragraph” command, or in the “Page Layout” tab, in the “Paragraph” block, click on the arrow in the lower right corner.
  3. In the "Indent" block, set the "first line" command to "none".

The second way is to use ruler markers.

It was described above that markers are not the best idea if you need to set exact dimensions; in this case, when dimensions are not needed, markers will remove the red line very quickly.

  1. Select the entire text or a section of the document of interest.
  2. Move the marker pointing down to the left edge of the document.

These methods will help you remove the red line indentation from the document.

So, setting a red line in a Word text document, as you now know, is very simple. Use the knowledge you just gained and format the text as needed in your case.

Those who often write texts in an editor such as Word have to format them later, since this default editor does not always meet the standards that are necessary. A good practice when designing any document (if you want it to look readable) is to have an indent or a red line. Since we are learning to master Word, this will be our topic today.

Let's make sure that all these red lines were not invented by us. China has calligraphy, its ancient art of writing. And we have our own writing culture.

THE RED LINE IS:

  1. A line of text starting with an indent; paragraph.

- Please mark as many red lines as possible - it’s easier to read (M. Antokolsky. Letter to V.V. Stasov, November 24, 1892).

2. A special printed line with equal indents on both sides of the page.

“I am an artist... my last name is Botkin-Razdorsky, well-known in the provinces,” I write in red (A.N. Tolstoy. Gloomy Morning). -

Simply put, the red line is the first line of a paragraph, which begins with an indent from the left edge of the margin of a book, notebook, etc. As they taught, and still teach in elementary school, when writing from the red line, you need to put two fingers.

It is necessary to separate one part of the text from another that has different meanings. In ancient times, to highlight a new paragraph, they used not only a capital letter, but also painted it red with a special paint (cinnabar). In addition, this letter, in relation to the others, was even a kind of whole work of art.

This is where the name red line comes from. Red is beautiful. In ancient times they said: “a beautiful maiden” - i.e. beautiful. Or the red corner - beautiful, and not hung with portraits of leaders. So, how to make a red line in such a popular editor as Word will be shown below using various examples.

Making a red line in a Word document automatically throughout the entire document

In general, there are quite a lot of options for making a red line. To determine the red line, use the so-called “slider”, which can be found at the top of the document when the ruler is turned on.

It is its upper part that serves as the designation of the indentation. With this slider, the red line is done manually. If the red line is needed for all paragraphs at once, then select all the text and drag the slider to the required distance.

As a result, at the beginning of each paragraph you will have a red line common to all.

If you make a red line for only one paragraph, then just place the cursor at the beginning of the line that will be indented and drag the slider. The same can be done using the TAB key. We also place the cursor at the beginning of the line and press this key.

Another way. In the same way, select the desired text. Next, right-click and in the menu that opens, find the line paragraph. By clicking on it, we open the formatting menu.

You can call the same menu by clicking on the paragraph tab in the top panel of the editor.

Here we find the “first line” field, put “indent” in the drop-down tab and set the desired interval (1.25 pops up by default). Click the “OK” button and get the desired result.

Making a red line 1.25 cm in Word 2007 throughout the text

The cases described above are the automatic setting of the indentation interval established by the program itself. But often we need our own interval. You can do it very simply using the “Paragraph” menu in the top panel of Word.

By clicking on the paragraph tab, a paragraph formatting window will open in front of us.

Here we will need the “first line” field. Open the drop-down menu and select the first from the two options “indent” and “protrusion”.

Next to it, the default value immediately pops up as 1.25, i.e. the one we need. Thus, nothing else needs to be changed here. Click the “OK” button and see the result.

How to make a red line 2 cm in a Word 2010 document?

And this is the case when you need to set your own indentation option. Here we proceed similarly to what was described above. That is, we call up the paragraph formatting window and select “indent” in the “first line” field. But in the field next to where it says “on:” we enter the required interval. In our case it is 2 cm.

That's it, click "OK".

How to make a red line in a Word 2016 document

When working in this version of the editor, everything is done as standard. You can, of course, make an indent by pressing the spacebar repeatedly, but still, a specialized key, “Tab,” is better suited for this. The only thing is that the indentation here has only one meaning and it may not coincide with what you need. To do this, we will resort to the most standard method. Select the text. We press the right mouse button and see a menu in which we select “paragraph”.

In the window that appears, open the “first line” field and select the “indent” value there. In the next cell we put the desired value. There is another option with which you can simplify and speed up your work in Word.

This is creating your own styles. Having created a template once, you can then use it without extensive customization steps. So, select the desired fragment and set the red line in it in any way. After that, right-click and find the “styles” button.


In the window that opens, give some name to our style:

That's it, the style is created. Now, when formatting text, you select the “Styles” command, find your saved template there and apply it to the text. As you can see, there is nothing complicated. So, when formatting text, you can use the standard settings included in the program, or you can create your own corporate styles. As you wish.


The red line in paragraphs makes the printed material easier to visually perceive. Therefore, it would be useful to find out how to do it. Since 3 editions of Word are now widely used among users, the instructions will consist of three parts - for each application separately.

Word 2003

The good old editor, to which many users are accustomed. The application has a classic interface, so the commands differ from modern versions of the programs.

First method
Select a portion of the text and move the top left slider on the horizontal ruler scale (which should be displayed) to the desired distance.

Second method
The easiest option is to place the cursor where the new paragraph will be placed and press Tab on the keyboard.

Third method
Select a piece of text with the cursor and click the “Format” menu item, then select “Paragraph”. A window will open where you find the “first line” field, set the value for the “indent” parameter and click OK.

Word 2007

The most popular editor today. Users are so accustomed to its interface that they are in no hurry to master new versions of the program. All functions are available immediately. There is no need to dig through the menu and remember the paths. There are several options for solving the problem.

First way
First notice if the element is active. If not, then display it. To do this, go to the “View” tab, find the “Show” block in the panel and turn on the “Ruler” option. After that, select the entire text with the command Ctrl + A or a fragment of it.

When creating an indent, you only need a horizontal scale on which 2 triangular sliders are installed on the left. By moving the top one, you can select the required distance.

Second way
Mark a part of the text and call up the editing menu by right-clicking on the fragment. Select "Paragraph" from the menu. A window will appear in front of you, where you will find the “first line” field and set the value for the “indent” parameter. The system itself will set the interval to 1.25 cm (enter your numbers if you want). All you have to do is click OK.


Third way
If you type the text yourself or its volume is small, you can use the Tab button. To do this, place the cursor at the beginning of the paragraph and simply press the key.

The cursor should be positioned at the beginning line of the paragraph. Press Tab, and the program will automatically replace the tab character with an indentation with a distance of 1.25 cm. The only downside is that this approach is not applicable to the entire document at once.

Word 2010/2013/2016

Fresh product from Microsoft. It differs from Word 2007 in its updated interface, the names of some tabs and functions.

First appointment
Find the “Paragraph” block in the “Home” (or “Layout”) panel and click in its corner the small button in the form of a square with an arrow. A window will open where in the “first line” field select the “indent” parameter value. The program will automatically determine the interval of 1.25 cm. Click OK.



Now after pressing Enter, the application will independently create a red line.

Second appointment
A proven method that has not lost its relevance in this version of Word. First, display it. Going to the “View” tab, check the “Ruler” box.

If there is unformatted text typed, mark it by clicking the “Select” button in the “Home” tab, then select “Select All”. You can simply use the hotkey Ctrl+A.

On the horizontal scale, move the top inverted triangle marker the desired distance to the right.



Third appointment
The red line is easy to make by simply pressing the Tab key. This approach is in demand only when creating a new document or editing a small document, because processing each paragraph, for example, on 90 sheets, is a dubious pleasure.

All the considered instructions for each edition of Word may seem the same. This is partly true. But it’s better to arm yourself with the necessary knowledge right away than to waste time studying the issue at the wrong time.

One of the questions that beginners who have just mastered Word inevitably ask is how to correctly create a red line in it.

Word 2010

Option one



If you're used to an outdated version of Word, then the new one, with its sleek, flowing lines and modern design, will make you excited. We'll introduce you to several ways to create a red line that will make your life easier.
So, the first method is to manually drag a slider that affects groups of paragraphs.
In order to see it, you need to turn on the ruler. Go to the View menu, then to “show” and select “ruler”.
So, after you see the slider, simply select the desired amount of text that needs to be “moved” and pull the slider on the horizontal line to the right. You cannot use this method for the entire document. Then the correct display of names and sections will be disrupted.

Second way

The second method is to format an entire piece of text using the “Paragraph” item. After you select the text and right-click on it, in the “top line” field, indicate how many centimeters you need to retreat and click OK.

Third way

The third and most creative way is to create your own style, where you can choose not only the indentation, but also the size and color of the text, and also apply this style to any selected areas of the text.

You can create a style by selecting the text, right-clicking and selecting “Styles” from the listed list. After you save a piece of text in a new style, you can always find it in the “styles” tab.

Word 2007

It has the most popular and familiar type of program to users.

First way



Similar to Word 2010, here you can also measure the indentation using a slider, which will become visible if you select the “ruler” line in the “View” menu and the “show or hide” subsection.

Second way

Drop-down menu. Select the required amount of text, right-click and select “Paragraph” from the context menu, indicating the required number of centimeters for indentation.

Third way

When printing any documents or stories, we need the text we are printing to look decent, that is, to look beautiful, and also to have a convenient device for reading. To do this, it needs to be edited, i.e. change his device.

Each text has paragraphs that begin with red line, i.e. the initial line of the paragraph contains indentation in relation to other lines in the paragraph. When you press a key « Enter" On the keyboard, the text is footnoted to the next line, but there is no red line, i.e. indentation. Therefore, we will look at several ways "How inWord make a red line.”

We will do the first method using "rulers", which is used to measure and align objects in a document Word.

First, we check whether the “Ruler” is enabled in our document. To do this, find the tab "View" and in the region "Show or hide" are looking for "Ruler". If on the contrary "Rulers" If there is no checkmark, then check it.

When viewing the ruler, you will notice that there are sliders on the right and left sides of the ruler.

The right slider is called "Right Indent", this shows the spacing between the text and the right edge of the sheet.

On the left side we have 3 (three) sliders. The slider, which is located at the bottom and looks like a rectangle, and its name "left indent". It determines the spacing between characters and the left edge of the sheet.

The slider located at the top looks like a triangle and the apex of which points downwards, its name is "First line indent".

With his help it will be done Red line. Runner "First line indentation" move it to the right side with an indent of 1.5 centimeters from the “Left indent” slider.


The middle slider, which looks like a triangle with its apex pointing upward, is called "Ledge".

With its help you can make the paragraph start with "Ledge", for this slider "Ledge" move to the right side of the slider "First line indent".


Now when you press a key « Enter" Each line will begin with an indentation, i.e. will be done Tored line.

Advice! If the text has already been written, then before moving the slider you need to select the text that needs to be edited.

Second method: “How to make a red line in Word” will be using the area "Paragraph".

In the event that you have already printed text with paragraphs that do not have a completed red line, then to do this, first select all the text that we need for editing. After that we need to find the area "Paragraph". It can be found in two ways.

First method: Find the tab at the top "Page layout" and approximately in the middle of the submenu there is an area "Paragraph", in which you need to click on the button "Expand".


Second method: Right-click on the selected text, a menu appears, select in it "Paragraph".


From what has been done, either in the first case or in the second, the “Paragraph” window opens.


In the window that opens "Paragraph", find the section "indent", which contains the inscription "First line", make an indentation of 1.5 - 2 cm and press « OK". Also in this window you can adjust the side margins from the edges of the sheet.

Now you know “How to make a red line in Word”.

We wish you good luck in your endeavors!