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Create bulleted or numbered lists

In bulleted lists, each paragraph begins with a bullet character. In numbered lists, each paragraph begins with an expression that includes a number or letter and a separator such as a period or parenthesis. The numbers in a numbered list are updated automatically when you add or remove paragraphs in the list. You can change the type of bullet or numbering style, the separator, the font attributes and character styles, and the type and amount of indent spacing.

You cannot use the Type tool to select the bullets or numbers in a list. Instead, edit their formatting and indent spacing using the Bullets And Numbering dialog box, the Paragraph panel, or the Bullets And Numbering section of the Paragraph Styles dialog box (if the bullets or numbers are part a style).

Bulleted list and numbered list

A quick way to create a bulleted or numbered list is to type the list, select it, and then click the Bulleted List or Numbered List button in the Control panel. These buttons let you turn the list on or off and switch between bullets and numbers. You can also make bullets and numbering part of a paragraph style and construct lists by assigning styles to paragraphs.

Note: Automatically generated bullet and number characters aren’t actually inserted in the text. Therefore, they cannot be found during a text search or selected with the Type tool unless you convert them to text. In addition, bullets and numbering don’t appear in the story editor window (except in the paragraph style column).

For a video on creating bulleted and numbered lists, see www.adobe.com/go/vid0077.

  1. Select the set of paragraphs that will become the list, or click to place the insertion point where you want the list to begin.
  2. Do any of the following:

    • Click the Bulleted List button  or the Numbered List button  in the Control panel (in Paragraph mode). Hold down Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS) while clicking a button to display the Bullets and Numbering dialog box.

    • Choose Bullets And Numbering from the Paragraph panel or Command panel. For List Type, choose either Bullets or Numbers. Specify the settings you want, and then click OK.

    • Apply a paragraph style that includes bullets or numbering.

  3. To continue the list in the next paragraph, move the insertion point to the end of the list and press Enter or Return.
  4. To end the list (or list segment, if the list is to be continued later in the story), click the Bulleted List or Numbered List button in the Control panel again, or choose Bullets and Numbering from the Paragraph panel menu.