Creating Tables

Word includes a powerful tool for working with tables in your documents. There are a few different ways to approach creating a table in Word. Learn how to get the best results out of your table before you even start working on it with the following articles about creating tables.

Tips, Tricks, and Answers

The following articles are available for the 'Creating Tables' topic. Click the article''s title (shown in bold) to see the associated article.

   Converting Text Into a Table
You can easily convert regular text into a table using a couple of different methods. This tip explains how to make the conversion as problem-free as possible.

   Creating a Table Using the Keyboard
Want to easily add a table to your document simply by typing a few keystrokes? Here's how you can do it in one easy step.

   Creating Tables with Specific Column Widths
Create a table and Word figures out column widths by dividing the horizontal space by the number of columns you want in the table. You can use this feature to your advantage when creating tables by applying the simple technique described in this tip.

   Designing Standard Tables
If you have a common table layout that you want to use again and again, you'd benefit by having an easy way to save that layout. The easiest way is to use either AutoText or Word 2007's building blocks.

   Drawing a Table
There are several ways you can create tables in a document, but one of the most unique (and perhaps most fun) is to simply draw the table on-screen. This tip explains how you can do just that.

   Heading Changes for Multi-page Tables
When you have a long table that extends over multiple pages, Word allows you to specify one or more rows to be repeated at the top of the table on each page. Word does not provide a way for you to change the table heading on secondary pages, such as to contain the word "continued." This tip provides a workaround you can use to get the desired result, however.

   Headings On Your Printout
If you've got a table that spans multiple printed pages, you probably want to repeat a row or two of that table as a heading on each page. Here's the easy way to set up those repeating rows.

   Quickly Inserting Tables that Don't Go From Margin to Margin
Adding a table to your document is easy. Adding one that doesn't extend from margin to margin may seem a bit harder. Here's a way to easily add just such a "narrow" table.

   Repeating Rows for a Table Footer
Word allows you to specify rows that should be repeated at the top of a table when that table extends beyond the bottom of a page. It does not, however, allow you to repeat rows at the bottom of a table on each page. There is one possible workaround, involving using page footers, but it will take a bit of trial and error, as described in this tip.

   Repeating the First Column of a Table
Need the first column of a table to be repeated on multiple pages? You can't do it automatically in Word, but you can use a workaround to get the desired result.

   Rounded Table Edges
Tables can be a great addition to many documents, as they allow you to arrange and present information in a clear and concise manner. Sometimes, however, tables can look downright boring. One way to make them look a bit better is to round the outside edges of the table, as described in this tip.

   Tables within Tables
Inserting a table in a document is easy. Did you know that you can also insert a table within another table? Word allows you to easily nest your tables, as described in this tip.

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