Hi Simon,
There may be better ways to do this, but I took a letter in Word and
saved this as a Rich Text Format file. Then I opened this with
TextEdit and saved this as a style file that I called "letter". In
fact, examining this turns out to be pretty basic. In minimal format,
you use the page boundaries and a single left tab that is placed to
put your address on the right hand side. The page boundaries here are
the defaults you set "Wrap to page" (Command-Shift-W) -- 1 inch in
from the boundaries of the window. Since I am using U.S. letter
paper, this means that the head indent and tail indent markers for the
ruler are set to 1.0 inch and 7.5, and these form the left and right
margins of my page (which is 8.5 inches wide). My single left tab
stop, which is used for my address or the closing, is set for 5.9
inches.
By comparison, in the default setup for Rich Text Format, the mode is
"Wrap to window" (typing goes to the edge of the window instead of
starting or stopping at the "margins" of the page -- here, 1 inch to
the left or right from the left and right limits of the window).
There are also
12 left tab stops (set every half inch from the left edge of the
window).
I don't think you need to use the right tab stop unless you are typing
in a language that flows from right to left, such as Hebrew.
For the letter template I describe, I simply tab to start typing the
return address (5.9 inches from the left edge of the window, or 4.9
inches from the left margin of the letter). The recipient's address
is set at the left margin, where typing automatically starts, since I
use "align left".
Hope this makes sense. To find out the margin and tab settings,
interact with the ruler. The head indent ruler marker will be 0 if
you are in the default setting of "Wrap to Window". Use the Command-
Shift-W shortcut to toggle this setting or else go to the Format menu
and choose the option "Wrap to Page". Now when you read the position
of the head indent ruler marker it should be 1 inch. Your right
margin (tail indent) may be set up for A4 paper and have a different
value from mine (7.5 inches). Similarly, you will want to set the
left tab stop for your return address to a different value than 5.9
inches since A4 paper is narrower. You can interact and move one of
the existing left tab stops instead of setting a new one.
Maybe Anne has recommendations.
Cheers,
Esther
On Dec 1, 2008, at 4:56 AM, Simon Cavendish wrote:
Dear Listers,
I am trying to work with tabs in Textedit. I have read as much as I
was able to in the Voiceover help file on tabs and in Textedit help
files. I can set the value of the right tab without a problem but I
am not sure how to activate that tab. When I press the tab button,
how do I know whether I activate the left tab or right tab? Has
anyone got any more experience on that? I'm trying to create letter
template so that my address is always on the right handside and so
that I may input the address of the recipient on the left.
Your experience and help would be welcome.
With best wishes
Simon
