Adobe InDesign is one of the most widely-used tools for designing professional-quality layouts for print and digital publications. Whether you are working on brochures, books, presentations, or reports, the ability to organize content effectively is essential. Bullet points, and more specifically sub bullets, are powerful tools for improving the readability and hierarchy of your information. This guide will walk you through how to make sub bullets in InDesign, and how to customize them to create visually appealing and well-organized lists.
Understanding Bullet Hierarchy in InDesign
Sub bullets, or nested bullets, are useful for creating hierarchical lists, where items are arranged in levels to indicate their importance or relationship to each other. By using sub bullets, you can convey complex information in a clear, visually digestible way. For instance, creating bullet points followed by indented sub bullets allows you to indicate the relationship between primary and secondary points.
InDesign provides robust options for adding bullet points and nested lists, but it may not be immediately intuitive to new users. Here’s a detailed look at how to achieve this and bring clarity to your documents.
Adding Bullets and Sub Bullets Using the Paragraph Panel
The Paragraph Panel is the primary tool used for creating and managing bullet points in InDesign. Let’s go through a step-by-step process of creating sub bullets.
Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Bullets and Sub Bullets
- Create a Text Frame
- Start by using the Type Tool (shortcut: T) to create a text frame. You can do this by clicking and dragging on the canvas to create a text box.
- Enter your list items, making sure each main bullet and sub bullet is written on a separate line.
- Apply Bullets Using the Paragraph Panel
- Highlight the text that you want to turn into a bulleted list.
- Open the Paragraph Panel. If it is not already visible, you can access it by going to Window > Type & Tables > Paragraph.
- In the Paragraph Panel, click on the Bulleted List button (symbolized by a series of dots followed by lines). This will apply bullets to your selected text.
- Indent to Create Sub Bullets
- To create sub bullets, place your cursor in front of the line that you want to make into a sub bullet.
- Press the Tab key on your keyboard. This will indent the line, effectively creating a sub bullet.
- You will notice that the bullet symbol changes when you create sub bullets, indicating the change in hierarchy.
- Customize the Sub Bullet Indentation
- You can further customize the indentation by adjusting the Indent values in the Paragraph Panel.
- In the Paragraph Panel, adjust the values for Left Indent and First Line Indent to control the positioning of your main bullets and sub bullets. This allows you to achieve the exact indentation and alignment you need.
- Access the Bullets and Numbering Options
- For more advanced control, click on the Options menu in the Paragraph Panel and select Bullets and Numbering. This will open a dialog box where you can adjust the Bullet Character, Indentation, and Numbering Style.
- Under List Type, select Bullets. You can then adjust the Level to indicate whether you want the bullet to be a main bullet or a sub bullet. The Level value determines the hierarchy of the bullet.
Using Tabs to Create Sub Bullets
Another effective way to create sub bullets in InDesign is by using the Tabs feature. This approach gives you precise control over the alignment and spacing of your bullets and sub bullets.
Step-by-Step Guide to Using Tabs for Sub Bullets
- Create and Format the Main Bullets
- First, create your text frame and type in your list items.
- Highlight the text and apply bullets by using the Bulleted List button in the Paragraph Panel.
- Open the Tabs Panel
- To gain finer control over the alignment of your bullets and sub bullets, go to Type > Tabs to open the Tabs Panel.
- You will see a ruler at the top of the text frame that allows you to set precise tab stops.
- Set Tab Stops for Sub Bullets
- Highlight the line that you want to make into a sub bullet, and press the Tab key to indent it.
- In the Tabs Panel, click on the ruler to create a tab stop. You can drag the tab stop along the ruler to adjust the position of the sub bullet.
- Make sure the sub bullet aligns perfectly by positioning the tab stop at the desired location.
Creating Custom Bullet Styles with Nested Lists
If you frequently use bullet points and sub bullets, you can save time by creating a Paragraph Style that includes nested bullet formatting. This will allow you to quickly apply your preferred bullet formatting to any text in your document.
How to Create a Paragraph Style for Bullets and Sub Bullets
- Format Your Bullets
- Create a text frame and format your bullets and sub bullets using either the Paragraph Panel or Tabs as described above.
- Open the Paragraph Styles Panel
- Go to Window > Styles > Paragraph Styles to open the Paragraph Styles Panel.
- Create a New Paragraph Style
- With your formatted bullets highlighted, click the Create New Style button in the Paragraph Styles Panel. A new style will be created based on the selected text.
- Double-click the new style to open the Paragraph Style Options dialog box.
- Define Nested Style Levels
- In the Paragraph Style Options, go to the Bullets and Numbering tab.
- In the List Type dropdown, choose Bullets, and then adjust the Level settings to include different styles for each bullet level. For example, you can create a unique character or symbol for each sub-level of bullets.
- Apply the Paragraph Style
- To apply this style to new text, simply highlight the text and click on the Paragraph Style in the Paragraph Styles Panel. This will automatically apply your bullet and sub bullet formatting to the text.
Customizing Sub Bullets in InDesign
InDesign gives you a lot of options to customize the look and feel of your sub bullets. Here are some of the ways you can make your sub bullets stand out and enhance your document design:
- Changing Bullet Characters
- You are not limited to the default bullet symbol (•). To use a different character, open the Bullets and Numbering dialog box and click on Add to choose from a variety of glyphs. You can even use symbols from other typefaces to create custom-looking bullets.
- Adjusting Bullet and Text Spacing
- Fine-tune the spacing between the bullet and the text by adjusting the Text After field in the Bullets and Numbering Options. This field controls the amount of space between the bullet character and the beginning of your text.
- Using Character Styles for Bullets
- If you want to format the bullets differently from the text, create a Character Style for the bullet characters. This allows you to apply a unique font, color, or size to just the bullets while leaving the text itself unchanged.
- Nested Lists
- If you need to create multiple levels of sub bullets, you can create nested lists by increasing the Level value for each subsequent sub bullet. This lets you create complex hierarchical lists with varying bullet styles for each level.
Tips for Managing Sub Bullets in InDesign
- Use Smart Guides: Smart Guides can help you align your bullets and sub bullets properly, ensuring that your lists are visually balanced and organized.
- Lock Layers: If you are working on a complex layout, lock the layers that you are not working on to avoid accidentally moving other elements while creating sub bullets.
- Practice Precision: Use the Tabs Panel and Paragraph Panel to adjust the exact placement of your sub bullets for a clean and consistent look.
- Preview Mode: Use Preview Mode (press W on your keyboard) to see how your bullet lists will appear in the final output without distractions from guides and frame edges.
Conclusion
Creating sub bullets in Adobe InDesign is an effective way to organize information and improve the readability of your documents. Whether you use the Paragraph Panel, Tabs, or create Paragraph Styles, InDesign offers numerous options for adding and customizing bullet points and sub bullets. The key is to understand how to use indentation, adjust spacing, and take advantage of InDesign’s powerful customization tools to create hierarchical lists that are visually appealing and easy to navigate.
By following the techniques described in this guide, you can create polished and professional documents with bullet and sub bullet formatting that enhances the clarity and impact of your content.
Next Steps
Practice creating sub bullets in a few different types of projects, such as a brochure or a multi-page report, to get comfortable with the process. Try experimenting with custom bullet characters, different levels of nested bullets, and paragraph styles to find the options that best suit your design needs. The more familiar you become with these techniques, the faster and more efficiently you’ll be able to add hierarchy and structure to your documents in InDesign.
