Formatting Text - Alignment

To change the alignment of your text:

Select the paragraph of text you wish to change. Note that changing the text alignment will effect the entire paragraph, and not just a line out of it.

Click on one of the alignment buttons on the Formatting toolbar. The different alignments are shown below.

Your paragraph will be aligned as you have selected.

• Open the file Nursery Rhymes.
• Select the entire document. Notice that the left alignment button is down on the toolbar. The entire document is left aligned.
• Select the title paragraph and the line following it.
• Click on the Center align button. This will move the two lines to the middle of the page.
• Select all the writing in the middle column.
• Click on the Center align button. This will line up the writing down the middle of the column.
• Select all the writing in the last column.
• Click on the Align Right button. This will line up all the writing down the right hand side of the column.
• Save and close the document.
• Open the document The Rule of Saint Benedict.
• Scroll through the document and notice how the right hand side has various spaces between the line end and the margin.
• Select the entire document.
• Click on the Justify alignment button.
• Scroll through the document again and notice the change in the right hand side. The lines now meet the margin, except for where a paragraph ends.
• Return to the top of the document.
• Center align the title.
• Save and close the document.

 

Examples of Alignments

Left Aligned

Once upon a time, a long time ago in a far away land, lived a little girl called Cinderella. She lived with her father, a wealthy merchant, in a beautiful house. They were all very happy together.

Centre Aligned

One day her father married again. Cinderella's new stepmother had two ugly daughters of her own. The Stepmother hated Cinderella because Cinderella was prettier than the Stepmother's own two daughters. She took away all Cinderella's pretty things and made her work in the kitchen.

Right Aligned

It was time for the prince of the land to get married. He sent out invitations to all the ladies in the land for a ball at the palace. Cinderella's step sisters and stepmother where very excited when they received the invitation.

Justified

Cinderella's Stepmother and her daughters spent all day getting ready for the ball. They laughed at Cinderella when she asked to go, and made her work harder than ever. Eventually they drove away in a fine carriage, with pretty clothes and ugly faces.