How to Use the Ruler in Word 2007

1. Click the 'View' tab on the toolbar.
2. Select 'Print Layout' in the 'Document Views' group if the document is not in Print Layout view.
3. Click the 'Ruler' check box in the 'Show' group. Alternatively, click the 'View Ruler' box located at the top of the vertical scroll bar on the right side of the page. This small box is not very prominent, but it will display 'View Ruler' when you roll your cursor over it.
4. Change the margins by rolling your cursor over the place on the ruler where the gray area meets the white area, which is called the margin marker. When your cursor changes into a two-headed arrow, click and drag until the margin is where you want it. You may have to move the indent markers on the horizontal ruler if they are sitting directly on top of the margin marker. To see exact measurements while you are adjusting the margins, hold down the 'Alt' key while you are clicking and dragging.
5. Adjust the indents by moving the indent markers along the horizontal ruler. Select all of the text that you want to adjust or make the adjustment before you enter text. If indent formatting varies within a highlighted selection, the markers may be dim. Note that each of the three markers has a different purpose. The downward-facing triangle marks where text starts in the first line of a paragraph. The upward-facing triangle marks where text starts from the second line on in a paragraph. You can move them separately by clicking and dragging them, but if you want to move them together, click and drag the bar underneath them. The marker on the right side of the ruler marks where the text will end and continue on the next line. As with margin adjustments, hold down the 'Alt' key when moving the markers to view exact measurements.
6. Use tab stops to align text in the left, right or center of a page. You can also use tab stops to align text numbers in different lines by their decimals or insert a vertical bar in the text. The tab stop button is located in the upper left corner of your document on-screen. Select the text you want the tab stop to apply to or make the adjustment before you enter text. Click the button until it displays the tab stop you want. If you hold your cursor above the button without clicking, a text box will appear that describes what type of tab stop is currently displayed. Then click the location on the ruler where you want the tab stop to be. When you press the 'Tab' key on your keyboard, the text cursor will move to the tab stop location.