In the TextEdit app on your Mac, choose File Open. Select the document, then click Open. If your document is stored in iCloud Drive, you can select TextEdit in the iCloud section of the sidebar, then double-click your document. In the TextEdit app on your Mac, do any of the following: Add a tab stop: Click the ruler where you want the tab stop. Change the type of tab stop: Control-click a tab stop, then choose one of the following tab stops: Left tab: Left-aligns text. Center tab: Centers text. Right tab: Right-aligns text. Decimal tab: Aligns numbers around a decimal point.
TextEdit User Guide
You can adjust text indentation and alignment in TextEdit documents.
- In the TextEdit app on your Mac, choose File New, then choose Format Make Plain Text. Enter the HTML code. Choose File Save, type a name followed by the extension.html (for example, enter index.html), then click Save. When prompted about the extension to use, click “Use.html.”.
- If you want your new document to be saved in iCloud, select TextEdit in the iCloud section of the sidebar, then click New Document. See Use iCloud Drive to store documents. If TextEdit is already open, choose File New (from the File menu at the top of your screen) to start a new document. When the document opens, begin typing.
Show the ruler
Where Is Textedit On Macbook Air
In the TextEdit app on your Mac, choose Format > Text > Show Ruler.
To show the ruler in all new documents, choose TextEdit > Preferences, click New Document, then under Options, select “Show ruler.”
Adjust paragraph alignment
In the TextEdit app on your Mac, click in a paragraph, or select several paragraphs.
Click an alignment button in the TextEdit toolbar (or use the Touch Bar).
Set paragraph indents
You can use the ruler to adjust the paragraph indent controls.
In the TextEdit app on your Mac, choose Format > Wrap to Page.
Drag the horizontal bar and downward-pointing triangles to where you want them.
Horizontal bar: Sets how far the first lines in paragraphs are indented.
Downward-pointing triangles: Sets how far entire paragraphs are indented (on the left or right).
Set tab stops
You can use the tab stops on the ruler to align text.
In the TextEdit app on your Mac, do any of the following:
How To Use Textedit On Macbook Air
Add a tab stop: Click the ruler where you want the tab stop.
Change the type of tab stop: Control-click a tab stop, then choose one of the following tab stops:
Left tab: Left-aligns text.
Center tab: Centers text.
Right tab: Right-aligns text.
Decimal tab: Aligns numbers around a decimal point.
Move a tab stop: Drag the tab stop left or right within the ruler.
Delete a tab stop: Drag its icon off the ruler.
Note: You can’t add tab stops to table cells. For information about aligning text in a table cell, see Add tables and lists to a document.
Copy the ruler
After you set the text indents and alignment, you can apply the same settings to another document by copying the ruler.
In the TextEdit app on your Mac, open the document with the settings you want to copy, then choose Format > Text > Copy Ruler.
Create or open another document in which you want the same settings.
Choose Format > Text > Paste Ruler.
Note: You can’t adjust the margins of a TextEdit document when you print it. To adjust the margins of the document when you print it, open it in Pages.