QJust a few chapters in this book I’m editing have used a 1)a)i) structure for nested lists. Is there an easier way to make them match the other •o– lists without restyling them line by line?!
AYes! It involves the multi-level list button on the Home ribbon and (at best) Styles for each level in the list.
I had to figure this out myself, last year. And let me tell you: it may not be perfect, but it cuts an 11-hour job down to 1 hour!
What is wanted is to turn lists like Fig. 1 into lists like Fig. 2. The next section describes the most functional fix, though you could skip assigning Styles, I guess, and just use the troubleshooting method at the end.
Steps to Change Multilevel List Formatting in Word
- Create a new (correct) Style for each level in the bulleted list.
- Apply the new Styles to one correct list.
- Select the whole list, and click the Multilevel list icon on the Home ribbon (see top of Fig. 3, below).
- Then click Define New Multilevel List…
Troubleshooting
This system is rarely perfect, so skim between the original and revised files side-by-side on your large screen to check for lists that need further tweaking.
For the lists/lines that are still not styled right, follow this shortcut:
- Click on a line that is at the top level in another list within the document, then click Select All in the Styles pane (Fig. 4, below).
- Click the “Bullet Level 1” Style you created, to apply that style to all the currently selected content.
- Repeat for the remaining levels of content in the lists: select a line styled as the second level, select all in that style, and apply “Bullet Level 2” style, and so forth.
Image of nesting dolls by allysonmiller1969 from Pixabay
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