latex

How to Write and Use a Bullet Symbol in LaTeX

Bullets and numbering are essential in highlighting the key points in an ordered format. You can use various types of bullet symbols in the document to make your document and details clean.

There are two most common forms of bullet symbols, like the heavy black dot (●) and the open circle (○). Therefore, LaTeX also provides a simple way to add bullet symbols to technical documents. So if you don’t know how to write and use a bullet symbol in LaTeX, this tutorial is for you.

How to Write and Use a Bullet Symbol in LaTeX?

To create bullet symbols in LaTeX, you only have to add the itemized source code and compile it. Here is a simple example:

\documentclass{article}

\begin{document}

There are various types of Linux Distros that you can try:

\begin{itemize}

\item Ubuntu

\item Fedora

\item CentOS

\item Kali Linux

\item AlmaLinux

\item Linux Mint

\end{itemize}

\end{document}

Output

Similarly, you can create a nested bullet list using the following source code:

\documentclass{article}

\begin{document}

In Linux, operating systems can be divided into different categories such as:

\begin{itemize}

\item Lightweight Linux Distros

\begin{itemize}

\item antiX

\item BunsenLabs

\item Linux Lite

\item Lubuntu

\end{itemize}

\item Heavyweight Linux Distros

\begin{itemize}

\item Arch Linux

\item Gentoo Linux

\item NixOS

\item Slackware

\end{itemize}

\end{itemize}

\end{document}

Output

The bullet type changes with each level, but there is a maximum depth of four.

If you want to use any other different symbol rather than a bullet, there are two methods for it. First, you can try the following source codes to use various symbols instead of a bullet:

\documentclass{article}

\begin{document}

\begin{itemize}

\item[+] Information one

\item[:$:$] Information two

\item[$\infty$] Information three

\item [\textbf{INFO}] Information four

\end{itemize}

\end{document}

Output

You can also use different codes in the source codes to use various types of symbols instead of a bullet. Here is the list of codes:

Let’s take an example and pick some symbols in the source code. You have to add the pifont \usepackage to compile the codes properly:

\documentclass{article}

\usepackage{pifont}

\begin{document}

\begin{itemize}

\item[\ding{68}] Information one

\item[\ding{49}] Information two

\item[\ding{94}] Information three

\item[\ding{113}] Information four

\item[\ding{71}] Information five

\end{itemize}

\end{document}

Output

You can change the codes in the above source code to get the list symbol according to your requirements.

Conclusion

Bullet symbols give your content a clean look, and a reader can easily understand the research papers. That’s why LaTeX also supports a simple method to write and use a bullet symbol. We have also included an approach to writing various symbols rather than bullets, so you can use them accordingly.

About the author

Prateek Jangid

A passionate Linux user for personal and professional reasons, always exploring what is new in the world of Linux and sharing with my readers.