InDesign Refresher · Page 4 of 8

Bulleted & numbered lists

Build lists into a paragraph style so every list in the document matches. Don’t type bullets or numbers by hand.

Create a paragraph style (for example Body List, based on Body) and open its options.
Go to Bullets and Numbering. Set List Type to Bullets or Numbers.
Pick a bullet character (click Add to choose any glyph). Choose a Character Style to color or size the bullet without affecting the text.
For numbers, the Number field ^#.^t means “number, period, tab.” Pick a format (1, 2, 3 or I, II, III).
Set Bullet or Number Position for a hanging indent: Left Indent 1p0, First Line Indent −1p0, Tab Position 1p0.

A hanging indent keeps every line of text aligned, with the bullet sitting in front of it. Equal and opposite indents are the trick.

Restart or continue numbering: right-click in a numbered paragraph and choose Restart Numbering or Continue Numbering.
Number across separate frames (like steps that continue on the next page): Type > Bulleted and Numbered Lists > Define Lists, create a list, then choose it in the style’s List menu and check Continue Numbers across Stories.
Indent to Here (Cmd+\) makes a quick one-off hanging indent at the cursor position.
Tighten list spacing: use Space Between Paragraphs Using Same Style (Indents and Spacing) so list items sit closer together than normal paragraphs.