InDesign bullet points are easy to add to your work, if you know where to look! Learn how to add bullet points in InDesign in this quick tutorial.
How to Make Bullet Points in InDesign
Step 1
There are multiple ways to do bullet points in InDesign. Let's start with one of the most simple ways. First, make sure you have an InDesign document open with a text box that contains text. I'm going to use this InDesign template from Envato Elements for this demonstration, but you could use any InDesign document and text of your choice.
Use the Selection Tool to select the text box where you'd like your bullet points. InDesign can apply bullets to an entire text box or a single line of text. Select whichever you prefer.
Step 2
Then go to Type > Bulleted & Numbered Lists > Apply Bullets.
This quickly and easily applies the default bulleted list style to your type. Simple, right? You can remove bullets in the same way, by going to Type > Bulleted & Numbered Lists > Remove Bullets.
Step 3
But what if you want more stylized InDesign bullet points? Let's walk through how to make custom bullet points in InDesign. Start by opening up your Paragraph Styles by going to Window > Styles > Paragraph Styles.
In the Paragraph Styles panel, click on the Create New Style Icon (it looks like a plus sign) to create a new style. You can give your new Paragraph Style a name if you'd like.
Step 4
Double-click on your newly created Paragraph Style to open its options and customize it. We get a whole host of options we can customize—but we specifically want the Bullets and Numbering Options, on the left-hand side of the panel, as highlighted below.
Set the List Type to Bullets.
We can also change how the bullets behave. By default, the Text After value will likely read ^t—which inserts a tab. Let's click the arrow to the right and choose Em Space instead. This will look like ^m. You can customize this aspect of your bulleted list any way you prefer.
You can also change the Bullet or Number Position—so, for example, if you wanted to keep the tabs, you could adjust the Tab Position, Alignment, and more.
Step 5
Let's also choose a custom bullet style. Click Add to do so. You can use any font you have installed on your computer. I used Imani Serif because it includes cute symbols like hearts and stars. I chose a star from this hand-drawn font to use as my custom bullets.
Step 6
Let's take our customization even further. We'll make our star bullet points a different color. Go to Character Color in the Paragraph Style Options. I selected a color from this InDesign template's swatches—a muted red.
These are just some of the ways you could customize this paragraph style. Once you're happy with your choices, click OK to continue.
Step 7
Now, to apply our Paragraph Style, use the Selection Tool to select your text box, containing the copy where you'd like to add your bullet points.
Then, click on your Paragraph Style in the Paragraph Style panel. Our newly created style will be applied, complete with bullet points. If I add additional content with hard returns, it will automatically create a new bulleted point in this list for me.
Now You Know How to Add Bullet Points in InDesign
Where are bullet points in InDesign? Multiple places! And now you know where to look, where to add them, and how to add custom bullet points. InDesign can automate it all for you, so you don't have to add them by hand.
Want to learn even more InDesign tips and tricks? Check out these free tutorials, right here at Envato Tuts+.
