3 Ways to Correct the Misaligned Items in a FrameMaker List
Do you have a FrameMaker list in your technical document that looks like this?
The most common way to correct the misaligned items in a FrameMaker list is to delete the list and recreate it.
If you want to change the alignment of a single item in a FrameMaker list, highlight it and then press Ctrl+Shift+L to align it left, Ctrl+Shift+R for right, or Ctrl+Shift+C for center.
If you want to change the alignment of all items in a FrameMaker list at once, highlight them all and then press Ctrl+Shift+L for left alignment, Ctrl+Shift+R for right alignment, or Ctrl+Shift+C for center alignment.
But beyond that, there are 3 specific ways you can correct such misaligned lists.
ERROR SOURCE 1: Extra in-line spaces.
Sometimes a line would have additional spaces in the BEGINNING of a listed item due to unnecessary or accidental pressing of the Space Bar. Select such blanks and delete them.
In the above example, line 2 has an extra space (but NOT line 3).
Select and delete it.
ERROR SOURCE 2: Autonumbering formula.
Sometimes the extra space would be in the Autonumber formula.
- Display the Paragraph Designer’s Numbering tab.
- Select the extra space in the Autonumber Format field and delete it.
- Then click Apply button in the Paragraph Designer.
ERROR SOURCE 3: Indentation values in a FrameMaker list.
Sometimes the problem will be with the FIRST indentation value in the BASIC tab:
In this example lines 2 and 3 have 0 (zero) for First Indentation but 0.2″ for line 1. Enter 0 for line 1 and click Apply.
LASTLY, sometimes you’ll see weird lines like the fourth one if the auto-formula is PRECEDED by a a DIFFERENT SERIES DESIGNATOR:
Line 4 not only has a different series designator than all the other lines but also a few extra spaces.
Select and delete both the designator N (together with the colon right after it) and the extra spaces. Click Apply.
Here is your list, cured of all its anomalies:
