Adjusting Column Width Using Menus

by Allen Wyatt
(last updated February 20, 2018)

1

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:

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

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

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

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

  3. Using the Preferred Width control, set the column width as desired.
  4. Use the Previous Column or Next Column buttons, as desired, to select other columns.
  5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until you have set all the column widths desired.
  6. 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. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Determining How Many Styles are Available

Got a macro that processes or uses styles? You definitely need to know how many styles Word has available in the ...

Discover More

Setting Grammar-Checking Options

When Word checks the grammar it thinks you are using in your prose, it follows a set of rules. Fortunately the program ...

Discover More

Comments in Headers and Footers

Comments can be a necessity when developing documents in conjunction with other people. They can be used to help document ...

Discover More

The First and Last Word on Word! Bestselling For Dummies author Dan Gookin puts his usual fun and friendly candor back to work to show you how to navigate Word 2013. Spend more time working and less time trying to figure it all out! Check out Word 2013 For Dummies today!

More WordTips (menu)

Spacing Table Rows Vertically

Want to get just the right amount of spacing above and below text in a table cell? A very easy way to do this is to ...

Discover More

Splitting Table Cells

When formatting tables, you can both merge and split cells. Here's a couple of ways you can easily perform the latter ...

Discover More

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
Subscribe

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

View most recent newsletter.

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

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}] 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.

What is 8 + 5?

2018-08-03 07:42:47

Eileen

I typeset for a local newspaper. I have been searching your tips for several weeks trying to figure out how to make the cursor stop showing the column resize icon when I hover to click at beginning of a line. It gets in the way of backing the text up into column to make it pretty for the newspaper. Please help. You seem to be the only one on line that knows about Word (for Mac). I am using three column templates made for me by someone else.

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.

Newest Tips
Subscribe

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

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.

Links and Sharing
OUR COMPANY
OUR PRODUCTS
OUR AUTHORS
OUR SITES
 

Copyright © 2018 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.