Formatting Tables Brailsford Travelers Rest High School

Table A table is an arrangements of data (words and/or numbers) in rows and columns. Columns are labeled alphabetically from left to right Rows are labeled numerically from top to bottom. Cell is the intersection of a row and columns Gridlines form the structure of the table, the outline of the rows and columns.

Parts of a Table Main title Secondary title Column headings Body Source note Gridlines

Formatting the Parts of a Table Main titleBold, ALL CAPS, centered in first row or placed above the gridlines of the table. Secondary titleBold, Initial Caps, centered in second row or placed a DS below the main title above the gridlines. Column headingsBold, centered over the column. Bodydata entries

Formatting the Parts of a Table Source noteBottom-left in last row or may be placed beneath the gridlines of the table, DS above and below source note Gridlinesmay be hidden*

Table Format Features The following features can be used to make your tables attractive and easy to read: – Vertical placement – Horizontal placement – Column width – Row height – Vertical alignment – Horizontal alignment – Merge cells

Terms Vertical placementA table may be centered vertically (equal top and bottom margins). Horizontal placementTables are most attractive when centered horizontally (side to side) on the page. Column widthGenerally, each column should be only slightly wider than the longest data entry in the column. Table columns should be identical widths or marked different widths. Columns that are only slightly different should be avoided.

Terms Row heightAll rows, including title rows, may be the same height. To enhance appearance, the main title row height may be slightly more than the secondary title row height, which may be more than the column heading row height. The column heading row height may be more than the data entry row.

Terms Vertical alignmentWithin rows, data entries can be aligned at the top, center or bottom. Most often you will use center vertical alignment for the heading and bottom vertical alignment for data rows beneath the headings. If a source note is included, it should also be bottom-aligned. Horizontal alignmentWithin columns, words may be left-aligned or center-aligned. Whole numbers may be center-aligned or right-aligned. If a column total is shown, numbers should be right-aligned. Decimal numbers are decimal-aligned.

Terms Merge Cells is when you remove the dividing lines between cells to create a single larger cell.

What you need to know Insert table Insert and Delete Rows and Columns Joining Cells and Changing Column Width Making Table Formatting Changes Centering Tables Horizontally and Vertically Table Sort Change Row Height and Vertical Alignment Merge cells