Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Word 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Word, click here: Drawing a Table.

Drawing a Table

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated June 22, 2019)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003

As an alternative to using the convenient Insert Table command, you can use Word's draw-a-table feature. It is easy to do by following these steps:

Click on the Tables and Borders icon on the toolbar. Word displays the Tables and Borders toolbar and switches you to Print Layout view (if you are not using Print Layout view already). The Draw Table tool on the toolbar is automatically selected, and your mouse pointer looks like a pencil.
Use the mouse pointer to define the outside borders of your table, much as you would draw in a drawing program.
Use the Draw Table tool to draw the columns and rows into the table.
Close the Tables and Borders toolbar.

If the Tables and Borders toolbar is not visible on your screen, you can also display it by choosing the Draw Table option from the Table menu.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (1774) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Word (Word 2007 and later) here: Drawing a Table.

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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What is two more than 5?

2019-06-22 11:04:42

Shirley Hamilton

I'm working on a directory. Is there a way to keep items from separating from page to page? For example, I want to keep Name, address, and contact info from breaking between pages. Thanks for your advice.

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