Tables in Microsoft Word

Description of a table

A table is made up of rows and columns of cells that you can fill with text and graphics. Tables are often used to organize and present information.

You can also use tables to create interesting page layouts, or to create text, graphics and nested tables on a Web page.

Parts of a table

Parts of a Table

It's helpful to know what the various parts of a table are called.

• Column
• Row
• Cell

Some parts of a table can only be seen if you display all formatting marks by clicking Show/Hide on the Standard toolbar.

• Table move handle
• End-of-row mark
• Table resize handle
• End-of-cell mark

Different ways to work with tables

• Use the Table AutoFormat command to quickly give your table a polished design.
• Use or modify the built-in table styles that come with Microsoft Word, or create your own styles to reuse later on.
• Move or copy a table to another place on a page, or resize a table.
• Adjust long tables to make sure that the information appears as you want it to when the table spans multiple pages.
• Make each column a fixed width, or let columns adjust based on the amount of text you type.
• Change the orientation of text from horizontal to vertical or vice versa.
• Add spacing between table cells, or add cell "padding" by changing cell margins.
• Insert nested tables to create page layouts.
• Sort lists inside a table.

How to Create a table in Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word offers a number of ways to make a table (table: One or more rows of cells commonly used to display numbers and other items for quick reference and analysis. Items in a table are organized into rows and columns.). 

The best way depends on how you like to work, and on how simple or complex the table needs to be.

• Click where you want to create a table.
• Click Insert Table on the Standard toolbar (toolbar: A bar with buttons and options that you use to carry out commands. To display a toolbar, click Customize on the Tools menu, and then click the Toolbars tab.).
• Drag to select the number of rows and columns you want.

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You can also do any of the following:

Use the Insert Table command

Use this procedure to make choices about the table dimensions and format before the table is inserted into a document.

1.    Click where you want to create a table.

2.    On the Table menu, point to Insert, and then click Table.

3.    Under Table size, select the number of columns and rows.

4.    Under AutoFit behavior, choose options to adjust table size.

5.    To use a built-in table format, click AutoFormat.

Select the options you want.

How to Draw a more complex table

You can draw a complex table - for example, one that contains cells (cell: A box formed by the intersection of a row and column in a worksheet or a table, in which you enter information.) of different heights or a varying number of columns per row.Click where you want to create the table.

• On the Table menu, click Draw Table.
• The Tables and Borders toolbar appears, and the pointer changes to a pencil.
• To define the outer table boundaries, draw a rectangle. Then draw the column and row lines inside the rectangle.
• To erase a line or block of lines, click Eraser on the Tables and Borders toolbar, and then click the line you want to erase.
• When you finish creating the table, click a cell and start typing or insert a graphic.

Note  Hold down CTRL to automatically apply text wrapping while you draw the table.