Format a table

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You can adjust width and height settings, set the alignment, set cell padding and spacing, and apply color and borders to your tables.

To select a table, column, row, or cell

  • With your cursor in the table, on the Table menu, point to Select, and then click Table, Column, Row, or Cell.

To set the layout properties of a table

  1. In Design view, right-click the table, and then click Table Properties.

  2. In the Table Properties dialog box, do the following:

    Use this To do this

    Size

    Set the number of Rows and Columns in your table.

    Alignment

    Set the horizontal alignment of your table.

    Float

    Set the floating property of your table.

    Specify width

    Set the width of your table.

    Specify height

    Set the height of your table.

    Cell padding

    Set the padding between cells.

    Cell spacing

    Set the spacing within cells.

    Borders

    Set the size and color of your table borders.

    Background

    Set the color or background picture you want as your table background.

    Enable layout tools

    Select to enable layout tools.

    Set as default for new tables

    Select to use these settings for all new tables you create.

To align a table, column, row, or cell

  1. In Design view, select the table, column, row, or cell.

  2. On the Formatting toolbar, click Align Right Cc295290.1538dfeb-b1ad-431d-a8af-94ed507eeda5(en-us,Expression.40).png, Align Left Cc295290.b6a7dbbb-0513-433d-b15b-b9da0017d6af(en-us,Expression.40).png, Center Cc295290.3ade5084-453a-4392-8ced-a25449ee96ff(en-us,Expression.40).png, or Justify Cc295290.09c7257c-5d7d-48a3-a5f2-fff49120cb65(en-us,Expression.40).png.

To make rows or columns the same size

  1. In Design view, select the column or row you want to change.

  2. On the Tables toolbar, do one of the following:

    • To make all rows the same height, on the Tables toolbar, click Distribute Rows Evenly Cc295290.ac1782b4-aea3-493b-af1d-bdb040003f26(en-us,Expression.40).png.

    • To make all columns the same width, on the Tables toolbar, click Distribute Columns Evenly Cc295290.4f54af16-fd37-474f-86b1-903b583239fa(en-us,Expression.40).png.

See also

Reference

Tables toolbar

Concepts

Working with tables

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