[Tex/LaTex] Enumerated list indentation

#enumerateenumitemgeometryindentationlists

I noticed that when I use enumerated list environment it produces an extra indentation to the document. So that if I'm using \usepackage[margin=3cm]{geometry} and then the enumerated list, the left margin is further indented than the right one, and the text is not centerally symmetric.
Is there a simple way to fix this, other than define a new list environment for non-indented numbers? (possible, but I rather use a something simple. geometry package options would be preferable)

Best Answer

To get enumerated and itemized lists that have the same amounts of left-hand and right-hand indentation, I'd recommend using the enumitem package -- which provides many extensions to and improvements over LaTeX's list environments -- and its leftmargin and rightmargin options. The following MWE illustrates this.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage[margin=3cm]{geometry} % per the example in your code
\usepackage{lipsum} % for filler text
\usepackage{enumitem}

\begin{document}
\lipsum[1] % filler text
\begin{enumerate}[leftmargin=2cm,rightmargin=2cm]
\item \lipsum[2]
\end{enumerate}
\lipsum[3]
\begin{itemize}[leftmargin=1cm,rightmargin=1cm]
\item \lipsum[4]
\end{itemize}
\end{document}

Added material after receiving a comment from the OP. I'm afraid I'm not quite sure about the meaning of the question

But how do I make the indentations of the \item the same as the original text?

The new MWE below provides four separate option settings for shaping the itemized (or, equivalently, enumerated) list items. Hopefully, one of these settings meets your needs. 

\documentclass{article}
% some short filler text, ca. 3 lines long
\newcommand{\shortfiller}{Nam dui ligula, fringilla a, euismod sodales, sollicitudin vel, wisi. Morbi auctor lorem non justo. Nam lacus libero, pretium at, obortis vitae, ultricies et, tellus. Donec aliquet, tortor sed accumsan bibendum, erat ligula aliquet magna.}
\usepackage{fancyvrb}
\usepackage[margin=3cm]{geometry}
\usepackage{enumitem}

\begin{document} 
\DefineShortVerb{\|}
\emph{``Normal'' text paragraph.} \shortfiller
%% Option 1
\begin{enumerate}[leftmargin=2cm, rightmargin=2cm]
\item \emph{Settings:} |[leftmargin=2cm, rightmargin=2cm]|. 
\shortfiller
\end{enumerate}

\emph{``Normal'' text paragraph.} \shortfiller
%% Option 2
\begin{enumerate}[resume, wide=2cm, leftmargin=2cm, rightmargin=2cm]
\item \emph{Settings:} |[wide=2cm, leftmargin=2cm,  rightmargin=2cm]|.
\shortfiller
\end{enumerate}

\emph{``Normal'' text paragraph.} \shortfiller
%% Option 3
\begin{enumerate}[resume, wide=\parindent, leftmargin=\parindent, rightmargin=\parindent]
\item \emph{Settings:} |[wide=\parindent, leftmargin=\parindent, rightmargin=\parindent]|.  
\shortfiller
\end{enumerate}

\emph{``Normal'' text paragraph.} \shortfiller
%% Option 4
\begin{enumerate}[resume, wide=\parindent]
\item \emph{Setting in this and the following item:} |[wide=\parindent]|. 
\shortfiller 
\item \shortfiller
\end{enumerate}

\emph{``Normal'' text paragraph.} \shortfiller
\end{document}

Suppose the final setting of the list items is what you're looking for. If you want this setting to apply uniformly to all enumerated and itemized lists, you should insert the command

\setlist{wide=\parindent}

in your document's preamble, immediately after the \usepackage{enumitem} instruction.

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