Adding color to tables in Google Docs can make your documents more visually appealing and easier to read. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to fill a table with color in Google Docs.
Why Add Color to Tables?
Here are some of the benefits of adding color to tables in Google Docs:
- Makes tables stand out: Adding color makes your tables pop out and grabs the reader’s attention. This helps highlight important data.
- Improves readability: Alternating row colors (zebra striping) makes long tables easier to read by differentiating rows.
- Organizes information: Using different background colors for different data types or categories allows readers to easily scan and comprehend table data.
- Enhances aesthetics: Colorful tables look more appealing and add visual interest to documents that are otherwise black and white.
Steps to Fill a Table with Color
Filling a table with color in Google Docs is easy and only takes a few steps:
1. Insert a table
First, you need to insert a table in your document. To do this:
- Place your cursor where you want the table to be inserted
- Click Insert > Table on the toolbar
- Select the number of rows and columns needed and click Insert
A plain table with default white background and black borders will be inserted.
2. Select the table
Next, select the entire table by clicking any of its cells. The table will have a border around it to indicate it is selected.
3. Open table properties
With the table selected, right click and choose Table properties from the context menu. Alternatively, click the Table properties icon in the toolbar.
4. Navigate to the color tab
In the Table properties sidebar that opens, click the Color tab.
5. Change cell background color
Under Color, click the dropdown next to Cell background color and choose the color you want to fill the table with.
6. Customize colors further (optional)
You can set alternating row colors, change border color, fill header row with a different color etc. to customize the table appearance further.
And you’re done! The table will now have the selected background color.
Tips for Adding Color
Here are some tips to effectively use color in Google Doc tables:
- Use light colors so text is clearly visible on colored backgrounds. Dark colors can make text hard to read.
- Try zebra striping with two alternating light colors to differentiate rows.
- Color code data categories by using a different color for each category.
- Use a darker or complementary color for column/row headers to make them stand out.
- Add borders if cell backgrounds have no color contrast with body text color.
- Limit colors to 3-5 for effective visual communication. Too many colors can overwhelm.
Adding Images to Table Cells
In addition to color, you can also insert images into table cells to make your tables more visually compelling. Here is how to do it:
1. Select the table cell
Click inside the cell where you want to add an image.
2. Click Insert > Image
On the toolbar, click Insert > Image.
3. Select the image
Choose the image you want to insert from your computer or Google Drive.
4. Set image dimensions
Click the image, then under Image options set appropriate Width and Height in inches to fit the cell size.
And that’s it! The image will now show up in the selected table cell.
Examples of Colorful Tables
Here are a couple examples of tables with background colors, alternating row colors, and images to give you some inspiration:
Colorful table example 1
Colorful table example 2
As you can see, adding some color and images can really make your tables stand out!
When to Avoid Using Color
While color can enhance tables, there are a few cases when you’ll want to avoid it:
- Data dense tables: Color can make complex tables harder to read. Use selectively.
- Print media: Colored backgrounds don’t show up well when printed in black and white.
- Color blindness: Ensure readers can interpret data without relying only on color cues.
The key is to use color judiciously only when it augments communication for your readers!
Tools to Easily Format Google Doc Tables
Manually formatting large tables cell by cell can be tedious. Here are a couple Google Docs add-ons that can help:
- Table Styler: Lets you instantly restyle tables with predefined designs.
- Table Tools: Adds enhanced formatting like merging cells, zebra striping, borders etc.
These plugins reduce manual work so you can focus on content!
We’ve reached the end of this comprehensive guide on filling tables with color in Google Docs. As you can see, it’s easy to make plain tables visually appealing with just a few tweaks.
Use this technique judiciously whenever you want to highlight important data, categorize information, improve readability, or simply add some flair to your documents!
