The toolbar ruler shows the width of your text in either centimeters or in inches. (The settings for inches/cm are located under “Preferences” → “Appearance” → “Display.”) You can change the width of the paragraph you are currently writing or for a larger block of text you have selected.

The toolbar ruler with the marks for the indent and alignments

The elements you can move with your mouse include the marks for the left margin and the right margin (triangle ) as well as the mark to indent the first line of a paragraph (line with a ball ).

This line with a ball and the triangle for the left margin will be lined up when the first line is not indented.

The triangle for the left margin also serves as the left-alignment tab.

The page layout margins are mostly hidden under the paragraphs margins ( ) and the indentation mark ( ). These page layout margin markers are simply there so you can see where they are located. The margins themselves can be changed in the “Page Layout” dialog.

The tabs (left-aligned, centered, right-aligned, and a decimal tab) can be accessed by clicking on the ruler. These tabs are the “place markers” for how far the cursor will jump when you click on the “Tab” button .

When you click on a tab that has already been set, the dialog Tabulator Settings will appear. In this dialog you can change the type of tab (left, centered, right, decimal) and its position.

You can delete a tab either by grabbing it with your mouse and pulling it out of the ruler, or in the “Tabulator Settings” dialog.

The elements in the ruler can only be moved in 1-millimeter increments. If you would like to set your tab in between millimeter marks, you can do this by holding down the key and moving the tab.

There are also magnetic guidelines in the ruler which can help you when moving an object. If you come within 3 mm of a nearby line while doing so, the guidelines will automatically grab on to the line. If you want to remove these lines, simply grab them with your mouse and pull them out of the ruler.