Adjusting Column Width Using Menus

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated January 19, 2019)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003

In other issues of WordTips you learn how to adjust the width of table columns by using the mouse. If you want to adjust the size of table columns so they are precise, there is no way to beat the menus. You can adjust column width by following these steps if you are using Word 97:

Select the column whose width you want to change.
Choose Cell Height and Width from the Table menu. The Cell Height and Width dialog box is displayed, with the Column tab selected.
Using the Width of Column control, set the column width as desired.
Use the Previous Column or Next Column buttons, as desired, to select other columns.
Repeat steps 3 and 4 until you have set all the column widths desired.
Click on OK to close the Table Properties dialog box.

If you are using Word 2000 through Word 2003, follow these steps:

Select the column whose width you want to change.
Choose Table Properties from the Table menu. The Table Properties dialog box is displayed, with the Column tab selected. (See Figure 1.)

Figure 1. The Column tab of the Table Properties dialog box.

Using the Preferred Width control, set the column width as desired.
Use the Previous Column or Next Column buttons, as desired, to select other columns.
Repeat steps 3 and 4 until you have set all the column widths desired.
Click on OK to close the Table Properties dialog box.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (79) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. Learn more about Allen...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Displaying the AutoShapes Menu

AutoShapes are very useful for adding common drawing shapes to your document. You can make the AutoShapes easier to ...

Discover More

Synchronizing Lists

Two lists of similar data can be challenging to synchronize. Here are some ways that you can align data in two different ...

Discover More

Only Inline Figures Can be Seen and Printed

Insert a graphic into a document and you expect to be able to see it. What do you do if it isn't displayed, however? Here ...

Discover More

Do More in Less Time! Are you ready to harness the full power of Word 2013 to create professional documents? In this comprehensive guide you'll learn the skills and techniques for efficiently building the documents you need for your professional and your personal life. Check out Word 2013 In Depth today!

More WordTips (menu)

Moving Rows and Columns with the Mouse

Like to use the mouse to help you with your document editing? You can move table rows and column with the mouse by using ...

Discover More

Distributing Columns Evenly

When you want the horizontal space in a table to be divided evenly among the columns in the table, you'll love this tip. ...

Discover More

Adding Table Columns to Columns with Merged Cells

Word's table editor allows you to modify the structure of tables in a wide variety of ways. If you want to add columns to ...

Discover More

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

Notify me about new comments ONLY FOR THIS TIP

Notify me about new comments ANYWHERE ON THIS SITE

Hide my email address

What is one more than 9?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)

This Site

Got a version of Word that uses the menu interface (Word 97, Word 2000, Word 2002, or Word 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.