Hanging indents in a wrapped paragraph

[Susan KK]

When I add a graphic to the left of a paragraph with a hanging indent (e.g.,
a bullet point), the hanging indent format disappears when it wraps around
the graphic. How do I keep the hanging indent in a paragraph that wraps
around a graphic?

 

[PJY]

If you set the text wrapping to be in front of text your hanging indent will
work, however, the text will no long wrap around the graphic

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Unfortunately, that's one of the limitations of Word; see "WD2000: Hanging
Indent Lost When Text Wraps to Right Side of Square Wrapped Object" at
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/209633. In at least some versions, the
hanging indent is preserved when you apply bullets or numbering using Word's
toolbar buttons (but not, IIRC, when you use the Format | Bullets and
Numbering dialog); this might offer some sort of workaround if you change
the default bullet/numbering format in the Bullets and Numbering dialog (to
"(none)"?) before using the buttons.

Although the article was written for Word 2000, I think this is still true
in all subsequent versions....Just tested in Word 2007, and yes, it's still
true. I know this has been reported as a bug for many, many years now.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
http://word.mvps.org

 

[Susan KK]

I noticed that the article that Suzanne points to says there are no
"workaround" options for this problem. I have found one way to work around it
that worked most of the time. Change the text wrapping of the graphic to
behind text or in front of text and then manually move the indentation of the
hanging paragraph to make it go to the right of the graphic. Then, if the
paragraph is longer than the graphic is big, you have to make a new
paragraph, take out the hanging indent format, and gain manually change the
indentation to go back to where it would have been if the text wrapping were
in place.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

That indeed would be a workaround--not a very satisfying one, but at least
it does work.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
http://word.mvps.org

 

[Susan KK]

Yes, my "workaround" option is a big pain in the neck. I've even used it to
do "tight" wraparound manually. That is, I make each line its own paragraph
and manually set the indentation of every individual line to fit the graphic!

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Ouch! Sometimes you just have to go with whatever works!

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
http://word.mvps.org