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I'm hoping someone can help with a tabs issue I'm facing in InDesign. I attached a screenshot below. For a resume design, I currently have the left and right information in separate text boxes. However, I am trying to figure out how to create this same design using tabs (as the two text boxes make it difficult to edit and line everything up). I know how to use tabs to create a single line on one side and paragraph text on the other side, however, I cannot figure out how to use tabs when I have multiple lines of text on BOTH sides.

enter image description here

I've been trying to figure this out for days and am completely stuck, so I'd very much appreciate if anyone has any advice. Thank you!

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There are a couple different ways I can think to do this. Others may have better suggestions.

For me, I'd use the first method below with anchored text frames.


First

.... merely using anchored text frames

Make each "Name of workplace" item a separate text frame. Align the separate frames with each Job Title accordingly. Then you can anchor those text frames immediately after/before each "Job Title". As the "Job Title" moves up/down a page, the anchored frame will move right along with it.

enter image description here


Second

... using tabs within a single text frame.

3 Paragraph Styles - Job title line, line immediately after the job title, and the rest of the job text.

Add a tab after the Job title and the line below it. Then assign a different paragraph style with a right indent to the rest of the "Job" text. This can make editing the first line of the job info a bit more cumbersome. But it will still work.

enter image description here


Third

... a forced frame jump.

This would require a different text frame for each job and columns would need to be equal widths (which is often not the desired layout.)

Add the "Name of Workplace" info in a separate paragraph after the "Job" info. Before the "name" line and hold the Ctrl/Command key down and then hit the Return key.
(If your keyboard has an Enter key you can merely tap that instead - it does the same thing as Ctrl-Return)

This will force everything after the forced frame job to move to the other column...

enter image description here

As stated above, this would require a different text frame for each job and both columns must be the same width.


For me, the easiest, fastest, most trouble-free, method to edit is the first method.

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  • And the fourth option (possibly the easiest to edit, though page jumps may be an issue) would be to just use a table. Commented May 11, 2021 at 7:59
  • For me, a table is far more cumbersome than merely anchored frames. But to each his or her own :)
    – Scott
    Commented May 12, 2021 at 3:21

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