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...

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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.