select a tab to delete

[ChrisBlanchard]

Can you hilight a specific tab and then delete it, without affecting the rest of your line formatting?

I am not interested in measurements or tab stops. I just want to hilight a couple of specific tabs (created in default 1.27cm tab formatting) to sort out some formatting on a remittance advice. If I can remove these specific tabs I can sort it. But when I hilight the tab then select Home->Paragraph->Tabs I am unable to use the Clear option. Clear All does not seem to work either.

[#2]

@ChrisBlanchard 

Hi Chris,

You cannot select default tabs and delete them. You can change the spacing of default tabs.

If you set a tab, any default tabs before it will be ignored, i.e., not set.

• Setting Tabs by Suzanne Barnhill, MVP
• Working with Tabs

[#3]

@ChrisBlanchard 

You can delete tab characters, the same way you would delete text characters in the document. 

As Charles pointed out, you can't delete the default tab stops, though. What you can do is change their spacing. The only way to actually get rid of default tab stops is by inserting a custom tab stop which will clear the default tab stops to the left of the custom one.

[#4]

Hello,
I thought if you selected default tabs then tab stops would be created in the ruler line that you can then tweek or delete as appropriate. I understand this is not the case.
regards

[#5]

@ChrisBlanchard 

Default tab stops are in effect throughout the document until you add a custom tab stop which will override all the default tab stops to the left of the custom tab stop in the paragraph to which you added the custom stop. It is generally a better idea to depend on the custom ones. 🙂

[#6]

@ChrisBlanchard 

Note that the tab settings are by paragraph, not page or document. They are best handled in paragraph styles.

• The Importance of Styles in Microsoft Word https://www.addbalance.com/usersguide/stylesImportance.htm 

[#7]

@ChrisBlanchard 

Charles makes an important point: Custom tab stops are defined for one or more paragraphs (depending on what is selected when you add a custom tab stop). Adding them to paragraph styles is the best practice.