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Table

On this page you will learn how to add a table to your document. There are a number of different design choices and options for using a table, the most important of which are discussed here. At the same time, you will also learn how to handle your table.

Video

The Objective

We will add the following table at the end of the document. The table contains the necessary information, formatted according to the example. The edges of the table have been formatted according to the model, the column widths have been corrected, and the heading row has been formatted separately.

Accessibility and tables

Tables are often suitable for presenting large amounts of data, such as statistics. However, they pose accessibility problems, as it is difficult to read a large table with a screen reader, for example.

Accessibility

Recommendation: Consider whether the table is the right format

Instead of a table, it may be better to use a list or even plain text. Instead of or before presenting a large amount of material, the text can be used to summarize its main content.

Recommendation: Used headers for columns and rows

Try to make the first row of the table so that its cells act as column headers. The cells in the first column should serve as row headers. In particular, column headers should be short but descriptive. Think of a reader who hears the contents of cells as "row header, column header, content".

Recommendation: Avoid merging cells

Word offers the possibility to merge cells in a table. This should be avoided, as the document user may have to use arrow keys to move around the table. Moving around with them is a pain anyway, and the merged cells make it difficult to move. It is quite possible that the user will not even find all the cells.

Example

In the image above, you can see a table of the kind you see very often. It is basically very neat, and the information is well structured. In practice, the table contains a number of difficult choices for the user of the screen reader.

Firstly, the information in the table could have been expressed largely in plain text. Secondly, the table contains merged cells. Thirdly, some things in the table are marked with an x or blank, and this can be difficult to interpret.

Task: Add a new heading at the end of the document

Add a new heading “Highlighting” to your document and format it using Heading 2 style. Model:

Task: Add a table

Add a new table at the end of the document. Set the size of the table to 2×1. Our table will automatically grow to the desired size as we add content to it. Model:

Task: Add contents to the table

Add the texts in the table according to the template. Model:

Guide

### Possibility to practice keyboard shortcuts

It may be easier to copy the text "Document is a form of communication" to the clipboard (Ctrl+C) and paste it into each cell using the shortcut key (Ctrl+V).

Accessibility: Highlights

Next, we add highlights to the table. When using highlights, there are a few accessibility and usability factors to consider.

Accessibility

Recommendation: Use highlighting to support reading

In an accessible document, the highlights cannot be substantive in the sense that the meaning of the document is not understood if they are not visible. It is worth trying to express things in words to the extent that highlightings only help the reading.

Recommendation: Prefer bold

When choosing between bold and italics, you should prefer bold. Italics are less distinguishable from ordinary text when the characters are sans-serif.

Recommendation: Avoid underlining as highlighting

Nowadays, links are often underlined, so it's easy to interpret an underlined paragraph as a link.

Recommendation: Use colors judiciously

Screen readers do not detect colors. The colors also don't work when the presentation is in black and white or grey, so they often disappear when printed on paper. Colors should therefore be used mainly alongside other means, not as the only way of presenting a piece of information or a difference.

Make sure that the colors are sufficiently distinct from each other. For example, distinguishing between red and green is difficult for many people (around 5% of the population).

Task: Add sample designs

Next, in each example text, add the formatting corresponding to the highlighting technique. Model:

Task: Remove the borders of the table

Now the table has borders around each cell. Start formatting the table by removing the lines around the cells in the table. Model:

Task: Draw border lines to highlight information

Next, let's draw the border lines in the table to highlight the information in the table: Draw one horizontal line under the heading and one line to separate the columns. Model:

You can use the Border Painter tool or the options in the Borders menu. Note, however, that when using the Borders menu, you should pay close attention to which cells are selected.

Starting the Border Painter tool

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Click on Border Painter button in the group **Borders** on the tab **Table Design**.

As a sign that the tool has started, the mouse pointer turns into a brush.

Using the Border Painter tool

Start drawing at the very end of the line you want by clicking the mouse button and dragging the line to the very end of the line you want. Word highlights with a grey line where your new line will be drawn.

Draw both a horizontal and a vertical line in the table according to the model.

Stopping the Border Painter tool

Click again on the Border Painter button or press the Esc key. Now the mouse pointer returns to normal, and the tool is no longer used.

Task: Display the grid

Editing the table is sometimes difficult if you cannot see the borders of the cells. Word has its own tool to make the borders of cells visible, even if the cells do not have drawn borders.

Display the grid. Model:

Task: Fix column widths

Next, let's slightly change the column widths of the table, making the left-hand column slightly narrower. Model:

Task: Format the header row

Finally, let's format the header row of the table to make it stand out from the other rows. Select the header row and bold the text in it. Model:

Extra task: Place the table on its own page

If your table does not fit on the same page as the text, you can move it to start on the next page by adding a page break before the table.

Model:

Guide

### Where to put the page break

The first idea is to insert a page break just before the table, which is a natural position for it. However, this would mean that the heading preceding the table would be “orphaned” on the previous page. The heading would stand alone and the text would start on the next page.

Orphan headings should be avoided. They are confusing for the reader, because it is difficult for the reader to realise that it is a heading.

Info: Select the whole table

Info: Moving a table

Info: Deleting a table

Well done! Check the template below to make sure you have done everything. Save the final document you have edited and return it for review.

Return

Return the task by sending it as an email attachment to [email protected]. Write Word 1 assignment in the subject line of the email.

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Mark as complete:

	Setting the text color.
	Changing the background color of a text, i.e. setting the highlight color.
	Font selection.
	Underlining of a text.
	Resize the font. You can change the font size either by setting the numeric value directly or by using the buttons Increase Font Size and Decrease Font Size.
	Italicize a text.
	Bold a text.