ARCHIVED: In Microsoft Word, how can I display or hide formatting marks such as spaces and tabs?

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To display or hide formatting marks (e.g., spaces, tabs, and paragraph breaks) in a Microsoft Word document:

Word for Windows

  1. In Word 2010, on the File tab, click Options. In Word 2007, from the Office Button menu, select Word Options near the bottom right corner of the menu.
  2. Select Display from the listing at the left.
  3. In the section titled "Always show these formatting marks on the screen", check or uncheck the appropriate boxes to view the marks of your choice. To show or hide them all, select Show all formatting marks.
  4. To save your changes, click OK.

Word for Mac OS X

  1. From the Word menu, select Preferences....
  2. Select View.
  3. In the section titled "Nonprinting characters", check or uncheck the appropriate boxes to view the marks of your choice. Check All to see all formatting marks.
  4. To save your changes, click OK.

You can also toggle between displaying and hiding formatting marks. To do so:

  • In Word for Windows, on the Home tab, in the Paragraph group, click the paragraph icon.
  • In Word for Mac OS X, click the paragraph icon in the Standard toolbar. If you don't see the icon, from the View menu, choose Toolbars, and then check Standard.

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Last modified on 2018-01-18 13:09:34.