ICT 0417 – Styles – Text AlignmentTopic 14 – Styles
Objective
Be able to apply text alignment including left, right, centre, and fully justified.
1. What is Text Alignment?
Text alignment determines how the text is positioned horizontally within a paragraph or a text box.
2. Types of Alignment
- Left‑aligned – Text starts at the left margin and the right edge is ragged.
- Right‑aligned – Text ends at the right margin and the left edge is ragged.
- Centre‑aligned – Text is centered between the left and right margins.
- Fully justified – Text stretches to both left and right margins, creating a straight edge on both sides.
3. Applying Alignment in Common Word Processors
- Place the cursor in the paragraph you wish to format, or select multiple paragraphs.
- Choose the required alignment command from the toolbar or the Format menu.
- Check the result on the screen; the alignment can be changed at any time.
4. Demonstration Using HTML Align Attribute (No CSS)
Left‑aligned example: This paragraph is aligned to the left margin. The right edge is uneven.
Right‑aligned example: This paragraph is aligned to the right margin. The left edge is uneven.
Centre‑aligned example: This paragraph is centered between the margins.
Fully justified example: This paragraph is stretched so that both the left and right edges line up evenly, creating a clean block of text.
Suggested diagram: Toolbar icons for left, centre, right, and justified alignment.
5. When to Use Each Alignment
| Alignment | Typical Use | Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|
| Left | Most body text in English documents | Easy to read; natural start point | Right edge appears uneven |
| Right | Captions, footnotes, dates | Creates a clean right margin | Left edge uneven; can be hard to read in long blocks |
| Centre | Headings, titles, invitations | Visually striking; draws attention | Not suitable for long paragraphs |
| Justified | Newspapers, magazines, formal reports | Creates a tidy block of text; professional look | Can produce uneven spacing between words (rivers) |
6. Practice Activities
- Open a new document in your chosen word processor.
- Type four short paragraphs (about 3–4 sentences each).
- Apply a different alignment to each paragraph: left, right, centre, justified.
- Observe how the appearance changes and note which alignment works best for each type of content.
- Save the document and label it “Alignment Practice – YourName”.
7. Summary Checklist
- Know the four main types of alignment.
- Be able to select and apply alignment using toolbar icons or menu commands.
- Understand when each alignment is most appropriate.
- Recognize the visual impact of fully justified text and when to avoid it.