diff --git a/src/roadmapper/alignment.py b/src/roadmapper/alignment.py
index e42a299..f9e1f7c 100644
--- a/src/roadmapper/alignment.py
+++ b/src/roadmapper/alignment.py
@@ -42,7 +42,11 @@ def from_value(
         if isinstance(alignment, Alignment):
             return cls.from_alignment(alignment)
         if isinstance(alignment, str):
-            return cls.from_string(alignment)
+            return cls.from_string(
+                alignment,
+                default_offset_type=default_offset_type,
+                default_offset=default_offset,
+            )
         else:
             raise ValueError(
                 'Invalid argument "alignment": expected None, str, or Alignment instance,'
@@ -56,8 +60,13 @@ def from_alignment(cls, alignment: "Alignment") -> "Alignment":
         return new
 
     @classmethod
-    def from_string(cls, alignment: str) -> "Alignment":
-        new = cls()
+    def from_string(
+        cls,
+        alignment: str,
+        default_offset_type: Optional[OffsetType] = None,
+        default_offset: Optional[float] = None,
+    ) -> "Alignment":
+        new = cls(offset_type=default_offset_type, offset=default_offset)
         new.update_from_alignment_string(alignment)
         return new
 
diff --git a/src/roadmapper/milestone.py b/src/roadmapper/milestone.py
index 6b03853..56184a0 100644
--- a/src/roadmapper/milestone.py
+++ b/src/roadmapper/milestone.py
@@ -82,7 +82,6 @@ def draw(self, painter: Painter) -> None:
 
     def apply_offset(self, alignment: Alignment, painter: Painter) -> None:
         direction, offset_type, offset = alignment.as_tuple()
-
         if direction is None or direction == AlignmentDirection.CENTER:
             return  # Center does not require an offset
 
@@ -91,8 +90,8 @@ def apply_offset(self, alignment: Alignment, painter: Painter) -> None:
                             text=self.text, font=self.font, font_size=self.font_size
                         )
             offset = alignment.percent_of(text_width)
-        
+
         if direction == AlignmentDirection.RIGHT and offset:
             self.text_x += offset
-        elif alignment == AlignmentDirection.LEFT and offset:
+        elif direction == AlignmentDirection.LEFT and offset:
             self.text_x -= offset