Formatting Bullets

[Sandra]

Does anyone have experience successfully formatting multi-level bullets in
Word 2003?

When I create bullets with a “Custom Style,†Word does not retain the Indent
settings that I set. It continually resets the settings with tab sets (that I
never even created). I understand that Word sometimes ignores your choices
and improvises if it thinks the settings are not correct (it pushes text to
the next tab stop).

On multi-user projects, when other people open my documents, the bullets
appear misaligned on their PCs (even though I use a specific style with a
template and they look great on my PC). Also, after another user opens a
document, the bullets get misaligned when I reopen the document on my own PC
(containing the correct template and styles).

As a work around, I tried using Word’s “List Bullet†styles, and they only
work if I do not make any changes to them. The problem is, I need to be able
customize them (i.e., change indents, bullet styles) and Word does not
readily allow for this. When I change the indent settings or bullet style, it
throws everything off.

I removed all tab settings from the Normal.dot template, thinking that Word
was reverting to its settings, but that made no difference. I also recreated
the styles and used “Clear Formatting†before applying the styles that I
want, but that didn’t do it either.

I have read all of the great articles about controlling bullets on
www.microsoft.com, but still have not found any really good solutions to this
problem.

Question:
What is controlling the bullets, since my styles and templates don’t seem to
be?

Another problem that occurs repeatedly, and may be related, is that Word
automatically unchecks the Global Templates and Add-Ins checkbox under Tools

Templates and Add-Ins. Why can’t I select the template I want from this

checkbox and have Word retain the settings I select? Though, even when I
check the correct template check box, the formatting is still off.

If anyone has any answers about why this is happening or has had success
working around this type of problem, I would love to hear from you.

 

[Aeneas]

Re Bullets:
This article contains all you need to know to create stable, portable
bulleted lists.

http://www.shaunakelly.com/word/bullets/controlbullets.html

You must, however, follow the instructions carefully and consistently both
when setting up the styles and when modifying them. If you do, your lists
will be "bulletproof".

 

[Aeneas]

Re: Global Templates

Save the templates you want loaded as global templates every time you start
Word in the Startup folder:

C:\Documents and Settings\User Name\Application Data\Microsoft\Word\STARTUP\
(Windows XP)

C:\Users\User Name\Appdata\Roaming\Microsoft\Word\STARTUP\ (Vista)

 

[Sandra]

Yes, this article was very helpful and I did follow the instructions in it
very carefully. Something else, however, seemed to be controlling the bullets
and I see there may be a clue in your next message...

 

[Sandra]

My Document and Settings folder is actually on my D:\ drive. I will try
this. I did not realize that I needed to put the template in the
Word\Startup directory.

Rather, I put it in the Templates directory, under D:\Documents and
Settings\User Name\Application Data\Microsoft\Templates.

Should I have a copy of the template in both directories or just one of them?

 

[Sandra]

I am using Word 2003 - would I copy my template into one of the directories
below for 2003, and, if so, which one?

 

[Aeneas]

I place a copy of the template in the startup folder rather than cutting and
pasting the original; if you do the latter, you won't be able to use the
template as a document template without going through additional gyrations.

 

[Sandra]

Another bullet problem I have is when I change the bullet style or the indent
of the "List Bullet 2" style, Word does NOT make the changes to that style,
but rather changes the "List Bullet" style to an altogether different style
from what it was! [Word removes the bullet from the previous, higher level
bullet and removes the indent to make it look like Normal text.]

The article, "How to Control Bullets in MS Word" states that you must modify
the "List Bullet" style in order to change a "List Bullet 2" style. I did
this and was very careful about choosing Level 2, rather than Level 1, in the
Customize Outline Numbered List (in order to change the "List Bullet 2"
style). I do not understand why Word is making changes to the "List Bullet"
style. Any ideas here?

 

[Stefan Blom]

If you want an outline-level bulleted list, read the instructions in the
"3 How to set up your List Bullet styles to get several levels of indented
bullets" section in the article at
http://www.shaunakelly.com/word/bullets/controlbullets.html.

Note that you need one paragraph style for each bullet level; the principle
is the same as that for outline *numbering* (which is explained at
http://www.shaunakelly.com/word/numbering/OutlineNumbering.html).

--
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP


in message

Another bullet problem I have is when I change the bullet style or the
indent
of the "List Bullet 2" style, Word does NOT make the changes to that
style,
but rather changes the "List Bullet" style to an altogether different
style
from what it was! [Word removes the bullet from the previous, higher level
bullet and removes the indent to make it look like Normal text.]

The article, "How to Control Bullets in MS Word" states that you must
modify
the "List Bullet" style in order to change a "List Bullet 2" style. I did
this and was very careful about choosing Level 2, rather than Level 1, in
the
Customize Outline Numbered List (in order to change the "List Bullet 2"
style). I do not understand why Word is making changes to the "List
Bullet"
style. Any ideas here?

I am using Word 2003 - would I copy my template into one of the
directories
below for 2003, and, if so, which one?

 

[Sandra]

I read the article and carefully followed the instructions. The part I need
clarification about is formatting the bullets (changing the indents and
bullet style). There is not much detail in the article and no clear steps
about this. Do I select Modify > Format > Numbering and use the "Outline
Numbered" tab or the "Bulleted" tab? When I select the "Outline Numbered" tab
and select a different bullet level (i.e., Bullet List 2), Word ends up
changing the Bullet List style - probably because the article tells people to
position their cursor in the Bullet List style.

If you want an outline-level bulleted list, read the instructions in the
"3 How to set up your List Bullet styles to get several levels of indented
bullets" section in the article at
http://www.shaunakelly.com/word/bullets/controlbullets.html.

Note that you need one paragraph style for each bullet level; the principle
is the same as that for outline *numbering* (which is explained at
http://www.shaunakelly.com/word/numbering/OutlineNumbering.html).

--
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP


in message

Another bullet problem I have is when I change the bullet style or the
indent
of the "List Bullet 2" style, Word does NOT make the changes to that
style,
but rather changes the "List Bullet" style to an altogether different
style
from what it was! [Word removes the bullet from the previous, higher level
bullet and removes the indent to make it look like Normal text.]

The article, "How to Control Bullets in MS Word" states that you must
modify
the "List Bullet" style in order to change a "List Bullet 2" style. I did
this and was very careful about choosing Level 2, rather than Level 1, in
the
Customize Outline Numbered List (in order to change the "List Bullet 2"
style). I do not understand why Word is making changes to the "List
Bullet"
style. Any ideas here?

I am using Word 2003 - would I copy my template into one of the
directories
below for 2003, and, if so, which one?

:

Re: Global Templates

Save the templates you want loaded as global templates every time you
start
Word in the Startup folder:

C:\Documents and Settings\User Name\Application
Data\Microsoft\Word\STARTUP\
(Windows XP)

C:\Users\User Name\Appdata\Roaming\Microsoft\Word\STARTUP\ (Vista)


:

Does anyone have experience successfully formatting multi-level
bullets in
Word 2003?

When I create bullets with a "Custom Style," Word does not retain the
Indent
settings that I set. It continually resets the settings with tab sets
(that I
never even created). I understand that Word sometimes ignores your
choices
and improvises if it thinks the settings are not correct (it pushes
text to
the next tab stop).

On multi-user projects, when other people open my documents, the
bullets
appear misaligned on their PCs (even though I use a specific style
with a
template and they look great on my PC). Also, after another user
opens a
document, the bullets get misaligned when I reopen the document on my
own PC
(containing the correct template and styles).

As a work around, I tried using Word's "List Bullet" styles, and they
only
work if I do not make any changes to them. The problem is, I need to
be able
customize them (i.e., change indents, bullet styles) and Word does
not
readily allow for this. When I change the indent settings or bullet
style, it
throws everything off.

I removed all tab settings from the Normal.dot template, thinking
that Word
was reverting to its settings, but that made no difference. I also
recreated
the styles and used "Clear Formatting" before applying the styles
that I
want, but that didn't do it either.

I have read all of the great articles about controlling bullets on
www.microsoft.com, but still have not found any really good solutions
to this
problem.

Question:
What is controlling the bullets, since my styles and templates don't
seem to
be?

Another problem that occurs repeatedly, and may be related, is that
Word
automatically unchecks the Global Templates and Add-Ins checkbox
under Tools
Templates and Add-Ins. Why can't I select the template I want from
this
checkbox and have Word retain the settings I select? Though, even
when I
check the correct template check box, the formatting is still off.

If anyone has any answers about why this is happening or has had
success
working around this type of problem, I would love to hear from you.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

If you want "outline bulleting," then you have to use the Outline Numbered
tab, which is the only one that allows you to have hierarchical
numbering/bullets and link them to styles. Still start from your top-level
style. Be aware that you're not limited to the bullets Word offers; you can
select New Bullet and choose any character you want from any font for any
given level. As you work down, just make sure that Level 1 is linked to List
Bullet, Level 2 to List Bullet 2, and so on.

I read the article and carefully followed the instructions. The part I need
clarification about is formatting the bullets (changing the indents and
bullet style). There is not much detail in the article and no clear steps
about this. Do I select Modify > Format > Numbering and use the "Outline
Numbered" tab or the "Bulleted" tab? When I select the "Outline Numbered" tab
and select a different bullet level (i.e., Bullet List 2), Word ends up
changing the Bullet List style - probably because the article tells people to
position their cursor in the Bullet List style.

If you want an outline-level bulleted list, read the instructions in the
"3 How to set up your List Bullet styles to get several levels of indented
bullets" section in the article at
http://www.shaunakelly.com/word/bullets/controlbullets.html.

Note that you need one paragraph style for each bullet level; the principle
is the same as that for outline *numbering* (which is explained at
http://www.shaunakelly.com/word/numbering/OutlineNumbering.html).

--
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP


in message

Another bullet problem I have is when I change the bullet style or the
indent
of the "List Bullet 2" style, Word does NOT make the changes to that
style,
but rather changes the "List Bullet" style to an altogether different
style
from what it was! [Word removes the bullet from the previous, higher level
bullet and removes the indent to make it look like Normal text.]

The article, "How to Control Bullets in MS Word" states that you must
modify
the "List Bullet" style in order to change a "List Bullet 2" style. I did
this and was very careful about choosing Level 2, rather than Level 1, in
the
Customize Outline Numbered List (in order to change the "List Bullet 2"
style). I do not understand why Word is making changes to the "List
Bullet"
style. Any ideas here?

:

I am using Word 2003 - would I copy my template into one of the
directories
below for 2003, and, if so, which one?

:

Re: Global Templates

Save the templates you want loaded as global templates every time you
start
Word in the Startup folder:

C:\Documents and Settings\User Name\Application
Data\Microsoft\Word\STARTUP\
(Windows XP)

C:\Users\User Name\Appdata\Roaming\Microsoft\Word\STARTUP\ (Vista)


:

Does anyone have experience successfully formatting multi-level
bullets in
Word 2003?

When I create bullets with a "Custom Style," Word does not retain the
Indent
settings that I set. It continually resets the settings with tab sets
(that I
never even created). I understand that Word sometimes ignores your
choices
and improvises if it thinks the settings are not correct (it pushes
text to
the next tab stop).

On multi-user projects, when other people open my documents, the
bullets
appear misaligned on their PCs (even though I use a specific style
with a
template and they look great on my PC). Also, after another user
opens a
document, the bullets get misaligned when I reopen the document on my
own PC
(containing the correct template and styles).

As a work around, I tried using Word's "List Bullet" styles, and they
only
work if I do not make any changes to them. The problem is, I need to
be able
customize them (i.e., change indents, bullet styles) and Word does
not
readily allow for this. When I change the indent settings or bullet
style, it
throws everything off.

I removed all tab settings from the Normal.dot template, thinking
that Word
was reverting to its settings, but that made no difference. I also
recreated
the styles and used "Clear Formatting" before applying the styles
that I
want, but that didn't do it either.

I have read all of the great articles about controlling bullets on
www.microsoft.com, but still have not found any really good solutions
to this
problem.

Question:
What is controlling the bullets, since my styles and templates don't
seem to
be?

Another problem that occurs repeatedly, and may be related, is that
Word
automatically unchecks the Global Templates and Add-Ins checkbox
under Tools
Templates and Add-Ins. Why can't I select the template I want from
this
checkbox and have Word retain the settings I select? Though, even
when I
check the correct template check box, the formatting is still off.

If anyone has any answers about why this is happening or has had
success
working around this type of problem, I would love to hear from you.

 

[Sandra]

Thank you, Suzanne! I will give this a try.

If you want "outline bulleting," then you have to use the Outline Numbered
tab, which is the only one that allows you to have hierarchical
numbering/bullets and link them to styles. Still start from your top-level
style. Be aware that you're not limited to the bullets Word offers; you can
select New Bullet and choose any character you want from any font for any
given level. As you work down, just make sure that Level 1 is linked to List
Bullet, Level 2 to List Bullet 2, and so on.

I read the article and carefully followed the instructions. The part I need
clarification about is formatting the bullets (changing the indents and
bullet style). There is not much detail in the article and no clear steps
about this. Do I select Modify > Format > Numbering and use the "Outline
Numbered" tab or the "Bulleted" tab? When I select the "Outline Numbered" tab
and select a different bullet level (i.e., Bullet List 2), Word ends up
changing the Bullet List style - probably because the article tells people to
position their cursor in the Bullet List style.

If you want an outline-level bulleted list, read the instructions in the
"3 How to set up your List Bullet styles to get several levels of indented
bullets" section in the article at
http://www.shaunakelly.com/word/bullets/controlbullets.html.

Note that you need one paragraph style for each bullet level; the principle
is the same as that for outline *numbering* (which is explained at
http://www.shaunakelly.com/word/numbering/OutlineNumbering.html).

--
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP


in message
Another bullet problem I have is when I change the bullet style or the
indent
of the "List Bullet 2" style, Word does NOT make the changes to that
style,
but rather changes the "List Bullet" style to an altogether different
style
from what it was! [Word removes the bullet from the previous, higher level
bullet and removes the indent to make it look like Normal text.]

The article, "How to Control Bullets in MS Word" states that you must
modify
the "List Bullet" style in order to change a "List Bullet 2" style. I did
this and was very careful about choosing Level 2, rather than Level 1, in
the
Customize Outline Numbered List (in order to change the "List Bullet 2"
style). I do not understand why Word is making changes to the "List
Bullet"
style. Any ideas here?

:

I am using Word 2003 - would I copy my template into one of the
directories
below for 2003, and, if so, which one?

:

Re: Global Templates

Save the templates you want loaded as global templates every time you
start
Word in the Startup folder:

C:\Documents and Settings\User Name\Application
Data\Microsoft\Word\STARTUP\
(Windows XP)

C:\Users\User Name\Appdata\Roaming\Microsoft\Word\STARTUP\ (Vista)


:

Does anyone have experience successfully formatting multi-level
bullets in
Word 2003?

When I create bullets with a "Custom Style," Word does not retain the
Indent
settings that I set. It continually resets the settings with tab sets
(that I
never even created). I understand that Word sometimes ignores your
choices
and improvises if it thinks the settings are not correct (it pushes
text to
the next tab stop).

On multi-user projects, when other people open my documents, the
bullets
appear misaligned on their PCs (even though I use a specific style
with a
template and they look great on my PC). Also, after another user
opens a
document, the bullets get misaligned when I reopen the document on my
own PC
(containing the correct template and styles).

As a work around, I tried using Word's "List Bullet" styles, and they
only
work if I do not make any changes to them. The problem is, I need to
be able
customize them (i.e., change indents, bullet styles) and Word does
not
readily allow for this. When I change the indent settings or bullet
style, it
throws everything off.

I removed all tab settings from the Normal.dot template, thinking
that Word
was reverting to its settings, but that made no difference. I also
recreated
the styles and used "Clear Formatting" before applying the styles
that I
want, but that didn't do it either.

I have read all of the great articles about controlling bullets on
www.microsoft.com, but still have not found any really good solutions
to this
problem.

Question:
What is controlling the bullets, since my styles and templates don't
seem to
be?

Another problem that occurs repeatedly, and may be related, is that
Word
automatically unchecks the Global Templates and Add-Ins checkbox
under Tools
Templates and Add-Ins. Why can't I select the template I want from
this
checkbox and have Word retain the settings I select? Though, even
when I
check the correct template check box, the formatting is still off.

If anyone has any answers about why this is happening or has had
success
working around this type of problem, I would love to hear from you.