Multilevel numbering in Word that works perfectly, first time

Hi Ginger. The ‘Number style for this level’ contains options for 1, 2, 3 or 4 leading zeroes. You add the ‘[‘ and ‘]’ as fixed text around the grey-shaded number. I hope that helps.

Jason

To label tables, you use the Captions feature instead of paragraph numbering. Captions (which can be switched to table, figure etc.) only allow a second level of numbering (which works off Heading 1 or similar) but not a third level, as you have requested.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

Hi Robert

The trick is to use 2 styles for the top level,

• one for the visible content (e.g. Introduction) and

• one for an invisible top level number that will be used by the lower-level numbering (1.1, 1.1.1 etc).

First establish the two top-level styles:

1. Create a new style called, say, ‘Heading 1 in Words’, that defines the ‘look’ of the top-level heading that will be seen in the document, and will be used in the Table of Contents later. Set the font, font size, colour, spacing, positioning etc. Alternatively, you could use a default style like Heading 9 that is unlikely to be used elsewhere). 

2. The regular Heading 1 style will serve as the level 1 number. From the style gallery on the Home ribbon, right-click and modify the Heading 1 style. Most importantly, in the Style definition dialog, click the Format button then choose Font, then check the Hidden check box. 
Instead of Heading 1, you could use another custom style that you create. 


Then set up your multilevel numbering definition:

1. In the multilevel numbering dialog, ensure that the level 1 numbering is linked to the Heading 1 style (you will need to click the MORE button to see the linked style option). 

2. Set up the other numbering levels in the usual way. 


Then for each top level heading (e.g. Introduction), use both styles as follows:

1. On one line, type the heading text that will be visible, e.g. Introduction etc. 

2. Apply the ‘Heading 1 in Words’ style. 

3. On the next line, leave it blank but click the Heading 1 style from the styles gallery. This inserts the top-level number that is needed by subsequent numbering levels, but it remains hidden. It won’t print and it doesn’t take up any space on your document.

And what about the Table of Contents?

Construct your table of contents in the usual way but click the Options button and remove the 1 next to Heading 1 and insert a 1 into next to ‘Heading 1 in Words’.

You have 4 levels of numbering. You need to utilise 5 styles and create 5 levels of numbering, one of which will be hidden.

I have uploaded a sample document if you want to refer to it that has the following number structure:

I. Blah
    1     A Blah
          B Blah
          C Blah
              i Blah
              i Blah
    2     A Blah
           B Blah
           C Blah
               i Blah
               i Blah

Before creating your multilevel numbering,

1. Modify the Heading 3 style. Click the Format button then choose Tabs and set tabs positions at 1cm, 2cm and 3cm.
2. Modify the Heading 2 style. Click the Format button then choose Font and check/tick the ‘Hidden’ box.

Then set up your numbering like this:

1. Click the Multilevel numbering icon then choose Define New Multilevel List.
2. Click the More button so you have the expanded dialog open.
3. Then …

Numbering level 1: (e.g. I, II, III)

1. Place the cursor in the ‘Enter formatting for number’ box.
2. Set ‘Number style for this level’ to ‘I, II, III’.
3. Link level to style = Heading 1
4. Start At = I.
5. Aligned At = 0cm
6. Text Indent At = 1cm

Numbering level 2: (e.g. 1, 2, 3 but hidden)

1. Clear the ‘Enter formatting for number’ box.
2. Set ‘Number style for this level’ to ‘1, 2, 3’.
3. Link level to style = Heading 2
4. Start At = 1.
5. Restart list after = Level 1
6. Aligned At = (doesn’t matter)
7. Text Indent At = (doesn’t matter

Numbering level 3: (e.g. 1 A)

1. Clear the ‘Enter formatting for number’ box.
2. Select ‘Level 2’ from the ‘Include level number from’ box.
3. Press Ctrl Tab
4. Set ‘Number style for this level’ to ‘A, B, C’.
5. Link level to style = Heading 3
6. Start At = A.
7. Restart list after = Level 2
8. Aligned At = 1cm
9. Text Indent At = 2cm
10. Add tab stop at = 1cm

Numbering level 4: (e.g. B, C, D)

1. Clear the ‘Enter formatting for number’ box.
2. Set ‘Number style for this level’ to ‘A, B, C’.
3. Link level to style = Heading 4
4. Start At = B.
5. Restart list after = Level 3
6. Aligned At = 2cm
7. Text Indent At = 3cm

Numbering level 5: (e.g. i, ii, iii)

1. Clear the ‘Enter formatting for number’ box.
2. Set ‘Number style for this level’ to ‘i, ii, iii’.
3. Link level to style = Heading 5
4. Start At = i.
5. Restart list after = Level 4
6. Aligned At = 3cm
7. Text Indent At = 4cm

Once the setup is complete, click on a line or paragraph that you want to number and click the following style in the styles gallery or styles pane:

• Heading 1 for the I, II, III numbering
• Heading 3 for the 1 A numbering.
• Heading 4 for the B, C, D numbering.
• Heading 5 for the i, ii, iii numbering.

Let me know how you go.

Hi Sush

If you have connected each numbering level to a style (the best approach) then by clicking the style in the gallery, the style of the numbering and the following text should be consistent.

If the numbering levels are NOT connected to styles, then you will need to click the drop-down arrow on the multilevel numbering icon and choose ‘Define New List style’. Whatever you define here determines how the number will look and not the text that follow it. In the ‘Apply formatting to’ box, choose a numbering level. For more than one, do each style separately.

Let me know how you go.