Re: Bulleted text

[Bruce Byfield <bbyfield -at- AXIONET -dot- COM>]

James Childs [SMTP:JChilds -at- ATL -dot- CARREKER -dot- COM] wrote:

>
> Does anybody have any thoughts on whether bulleted text should be
> "embedded" > into a paragraph (indented by .25 or something) or
> aligned with the paragraph in which it is contained?

I favor the following design:

- Bullets and numbers are aligned with the left margin of the body text.

- The actual text of bulleted numbered lists is aligned with the left
margin of indented text.

This design minmizes the number of different alignments on the page. As
a result, it's easy on the eye, and easier to scan.

A couple more notes:

- Especially for on-line work, I often add a second level of indented
text
and bullets, organized in the same way. This practice helps to organize
long lists.

- Depending on the font and its size. an indent of.25 inches isometimes
separates the text from the bullet or number a little too much.

--
Bruce Byfield, Outlaw Communications
Co-ordinator ,Vancouver Technical Communicators' Co-op List
Vancouver, BC, Canada
(604) 421-7189 or 687-2133
bbyfield -at- axionet,com or bruce -at- dataphile-ca -dot- com
www.outlawcommunications.com (update 8 June, 1998)

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