How to Make and Customize a Table in Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word / By /
377465 How to Make and Customize a Table in Microsoft Word

Insert a Table

There are several ways to insert a table in Word:

  • Click the Insert tab and click the Table button. Select the number of rows and columns you want.
  • Click Insert > Table > Insert Table. Specify the number of rows and columns.
  • Click Insert > Table > Draw Table. Draw a table by dragging your mouse.

You can also convert existing text into a table by selecting the text, clicking Insert > Table > Convert Text to Table, and choosing your separation options.

Add and Delete Rows and Columns

To add rows or columns:

  • Click in a cell next to where you want to add a row or column.
  • Click the Layout tab.
  • Click the Insert Above, Insert Below, Insert Left, or Insert Right buttons.

To delete rows, columns, or the entire table:

  • Select the rows, columns, or table you want to delete.
  • Click the Layout tab.
  • Click Delete > Delete Rows, Delete Columns, or Delete Table.

Merge and Split Cells

To merge cells:

  • Select the cells to merge.
  • Click the Layout tab.
  • Click Merge Cells.

To split cells:

  • Select the cell to split.
  • Click Split Cells.
  • Enter the number of rows and columns to split the cell into.

Resize Rows and Columns

To adjust row height or column width:

  • Select the rows or columns you want to resize.
  • Click and drag the boundary on the ruler.

To auto-resize rows or columns based on contents:

  • Select the table, row, or column.
  • Click the Layout tab.
  • Click AutoFit, then select an option.

Change Text Direction

To change text direction to vertical or rotated:

  • Select the cell(s) with text.
  • On the Layout tab, click Text Direction.
  • Select the direction you want.

Align Text

To align text within table cells:

  • Select the cells with text to align.
  • On the Layout tab, click an alignment option.

Apply Table Styles

To format an entire table quickly:

  • Click anywhere in the table.
  • On the Design tab, select a style from the Table Styles gallery.

You can enable or disable specific elements like header rows, total rows, and banded rows.

Add Borders and Shading

To add borders:

  • Select the table, rows, columns, or cells to add borders to.
  • On the Design tab, open the Borders menu.
  • Select the border location(s) and options.

To add shading:

  • Select the cells to shade.
  • On the Design tab, click the Shading button and select a color.

Create Custom Table Styles

To create a custom table style:

  • Format a table how you want it.
  • Right-click the table and select Save as New Quick Style.
  • Give your style a name and click OK to save it.

You can then apply your custom style to new tables.

Convert a Table to Text

To convert a table to regular text paragraphs:

  • Select the entire table.
  • On the Layout tab, click Convert to Text.
  • Choose your separation options and click OK.

The table will convert to text paragraphs separated by your chosen options.

Use Formulas in Table Cells

You can perform calculations in a Word table by using formulas:

  • Select the cell to contain the formula.
  • Type an equals sign (=) and enter the formula.
  • Press Enter to see the calculation result.

Some examples:

  • =SUM(ABOVE) sums all cells above
  • =AVERAGE(LEFT) averages left column
  • =COUNT(Table1) counts cells in Table1

With these tips, you can now easily create tables in Word documents and customize them to suit your needs!

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