Increasing Space between Numbers and Text in a List

Many people like to use the Numbering tool, on the Formatting toolbar, to create numbered lists in a document. When formatting your list, the tool assumes that you are working with lists that have only a few items in them. If you have lists with many, many items, then they may not look right when you view items that have two or three digits in the number. For instance, there may be very little space between a two-digit list number and the start of your text. It may be even worse if you have list items that use three digits.

If you want to change the way that spacing is handled between list numbers and the text in the list item itself, follow these steps if you are using a version of Word prior to Word 2007:

1. Select the list items you want to change. (You would normally select all the numbered items in your list.)
2. Choose Bullets and Numbering from the Format menu. Word displays the Bullets and Numbering dialog box, with the Numbered tab selected. (Click here to see a related figure.)
3. Click Customize. The Customize Numbered List dialog box should appear. (Click here to see a related figure.)
4. Use the Number Position controls to specify how the number in the selected list items should be aligned, and where it should appear horizontally.
5. Use the two controls in the Text Position area to specify how far the numbered item should be indented. (For the best effect, both controls in this area should be set to the same value.)
6. Close both of the open dialog boxes by clicking OK in them.

It is interesting to note that Word 2007 does not allow as much control over the positioning of list numbers as does previous versions of Word. Even if you display the Customize Numbered List dialog box (which isn't that easy to do, involving making some additions to the Quick Access toolbar), there are fewer controls in the dialog box. For instance, neither the Number Position controls nor the Text Position controls are available in the dialog box.