Bullet and Numbered List Formats in CorelDRAW

CorelDRAW provides versatile formatting options for organizing paragraph text into structured lists. This article outlines the specific bulleted and numbered list formats available within the software, detailing the supported styles, customization features, and layout controls used to refine text typography.

Text Requirements for Lists

Lists in CorelDRAW are strictly supported within Paragraph Text. If text is created as Artistic Text, it must first be converted to Paragraph Text (via the Text menu or by pressing Ctrl + F8) before bulleted or numbered formatting can be applied.

Bulleted List Formats

CorelDRAW allows users to create bulleted lists using both standard typographic marks and custom glyphs:

  • Standard Symbols: Traditional bullet styles, including solid circular dots, open circles, square boxes, hyphens, and arrows.
  • Font-Based Glyphs: Any character or symbol from any installed font on the system can serve as a bullet. Designers frequently use symbol fonts such as Wingdings, Webdings, or custom icon fonts to insert checkboxes, stars, or pointers.
  • Custom Sizing and Positioning: Bullets can be scaled independently from the body text, with adjustments available for size, baseline shift, and horizontal alignment relative to the margin.

Numbered List Formats

The numbered list engine in CorelDRAW includes several sequential formats for ordering content:

  • Arabic Numerals: Standard sequence (1, 2, 3...).
  • Leading-Zero Numerals: Formats with single or double leading zeros for fixed-width numbering (01, 02, 03... or 001, 002, 003...).
  • Uppercase Roman Numerals: Traditional formal ordering (I, II, III, IV...).
  • Lowercase Roman Numerals: Often used for sub-clauses, prefaces, or secondary outlines (i, ii, iii, iv...).
  • Uppercase Alphabetical: Latin character ordering (A, B, C...).
  • Lowercase Alphabetical: Secondary or nested list ordering (a, b, c...).

Customization and Formatting Controls

Both bulleted and numbered lists can be customized through the Text Properties docker or inspector (Ctrl + T) under the Paragraph section:

  • Prefixes and Suffixes: For numbered lists, characters can be appended before or after the number (e.g., 1., 1), (1), or Item 1:).
  • Start-At Values: Numbered sequences can be set to begin at any chosen integer rather than starting at 1.
  • Indentation and Spacing: Users can configure hanging indents, specify the exact distance between the bullet/number and the text, and control line-to-line spacing.
  • Tracking and Inheritance: Bullets and numbers can either inherit the font styling, weight, and color of the text string or be assigned discrete formatting overrides.