Working with Tables

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Tables

  Tables work well as a page-layout tool. 

Without visible borders, tables create a framework into which you can place chunks of text, images, and even other tables.  The result is a layout similar to what you can achieve by using a desktop-publishing program. 
 

 Create a
table

 FrontPage gives you several methods to create Tables.  These instructions use the Insert Table tool on the toolbar.
  1. Place the cursor in the page where you want the table to appear.  Click the Insert Table tool.
     
  2. Click and drag your pointer on the grid until the number of highlighted boxes equals the number of rows and columns you want your table to contain.  
     
  3. Release the mouse button and a new empty table appears.

 

Align a
table		 The default for a table is left aligned.  You can also right align or center a table on a page.
  1. Right click the table, and from the pop-up menu, choose Table Properties.  
     
  2. Choose an option from the Alignment list box, then click OK.
Create a
floating
table		 Similar to a picture, adjacent text can wrap around the right or left side of a table.  This effect is called floating.  
  1. Right click the table and choose Table Properties.
     
  2. Choose an option from the Float list box.
Use cell
padding		 Cell padding is the amount of white space between the edge of the cell and the contents of the cell.  The default is 1 pixel.
  1. Right click the table and choose Table Properties.
     
  2. In the Cell padding list box, type the amount of white space (in pixels) that you want to separate cell contents from cell borders.  Then click OK.  

       
    Cell padding of 10 pixels
       
    No cell padding
       

 
Use cell
spacing		  
Cell spacing determines how much space exists between cells and also affects the appearance of table and cell borders.  The default is 2 pixels.
  1. Right click the table and choose Table Properties.
     
  2. In the Cell spacing list box, type the desired amount of space separating table cells.  Then click OK.  

       
    Cell spacing of 10 pixels
       
    No cell spacing
       

 

 
 Set border
thickness		  
Tables come with 1 pixel thick borders, and they have two types of borders: those surrounding individual cells and those surrounding the entire table.  Cell borders can be only 1 pixel thick.  Table borders, however, can be of any thickness.  To change a table's border:
  1. Right click the table and choose Table Properties.
     
  2. In the Size text box, type the desired border thickness in pixels, then click OK.
This table has a border of 10 pixels
   
   
 
The same table with no border (with shading so you can see it)
   
   

 

Align cell
contents		 You can control vertical and horizontal alignment of the elements inside table cells.  By selecting several cells, a row or column, or even the entire table, you can apply alignment controls to a group of cells in one fell swoop.
  1. To change vertical alignment, select what you want to format, and then click the Align Top, Center Vertically, or Align Bottom button.    
     
  2. To change horizontal alignment, select what you want to format, and then click the Align Left, Center, or Align Right button in the formatting toolbar.   
Add a
caption		 This is a bit of descriptive text that sits just above the table.
  1. Click anywhere inside the table and then choose, Table ® Insert ® Caption.
     
  2. Type the caption text, and then click OK.
Add color and a background
image

 

 You can apply color or a background image to an entire table or individual cells, just as you would to an entire page.

To add a background color to a table or cell:

  1. Select the cells you want to color (or select the table).
     
  2. Click the little down arrow next to the Fill Color button and then select the color you want.    
     
     

To add a background texture to a table:

  1. Right click the table, and choose Table Properties.
     
  2. Click the Use background picture check box.
     
  3. In the text box, browse to the location of the image.  Click OK.
     
     

 

Merging and
splitting cells		 When you merge cells, you erase the borders between the cells, creating one big, combined cell.  Splitting cells divides one cell into two or more, arranged in rows or columns. 

Make sure the Table toolbar is displayed.  Right click somewhere on the toolbars and check Tables.

To merge cells:

  1. Select the cells you want to merge and then click the Merge Cells button on the Tables toolbar.

Three cells merged into one
     

To split cells:

  1. Select the cell or cells you want to split and then click the Split Cells button.  
     
  2. Click the Split into Columns radio button to split the cell(s) vertically, or click the Split into Rows radio button to split the cell(s) horizontally.
     
  3. In the Number of Columns text box (or Number of Rows text box, depending on your selection in Step 2), type the number of cells into which you want to divide the selected cell(s).
     
  4. Click OK.
Same table as above with bottom three cells split into six

Three cells merged into one
           

 

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