Different Ways to Create and Customize Tables in Microsoft Word

However, it is highly recommended that you test out the table tools in Word 2013 because the procedure has been simplified, and there are now more graphical customization possibilities. In addition, there is also an option for transforming already existing text into a table. Open a new blank document in Word by going to the Home menu and selecting "New." Place the cursor in the page section where you would want the table to be added.

Graphic Grid/Select Table from Graph

To Insert a Table:

• Choose the Insert tab and then click the Table button. The Insert Table dialogue box will appear, displaying a basic grid design and conventional menu choices below it.
• Click the Insert button to continue.
• Take note that after the table is formed, a new option on the Ribbon bar named Table Tools emerges, along with two new tabs labelled Design and Layout.
• For more information on these choices, please refer to the next section, "Layout and Design."

Insert Table

Insert >'' Tables >'' Insert Table may be in the dropdown menu under Insert. In the dialogue box labelled "Insert Table," specify the number of columns and rows that should be included in this table (four columns and five rows). You may choose Auto in the tab under AutoFit Behavior or click the down arrow to pick a different size.

Draw Table

Draw a table by selecting Insert >'' Tables >'' Draw Table. When you want to create a box, the cursor changes into a pencil that you may drag down and across with. You don't need to worry about the precise measurements since you may make changes at any moment. After the box has been constructed, move the cursor inside, and draw lines going over and down to represent the columns and rows (one at a time). Word will automatically correct crooked lines as you draw with it, so don't worry about them.

Click anywhere inside the table, then go to the Table Tools menu and pick the Design option. You may modify the table by adding or removing rows, columns, or both. Both of these buttons are located on the Draw Table toolbar. If you want to get rid of a line, you must contact it with the eraser cursor, and it will vanish.

Excel Spreadsheet (create In Word)

Choose Excel Spreadsheet from the Insert >'' Tables menu. Insertion points in an Excel spreadsheet appear wherever your cursor is currently located. You can continue using Excel and all of its menus and instructions. Still, when you input your data, the spreadsheet will automatically transform into a visual that cannot be edited.

Right-clicking anywhere inside the worksheet graphic, selecting Worksheet Object from the dropdown menu, and then clicking Edit will allow you to add to, remove from, or otherwise alter the spreadsheet. It looks like the original spreadsheet is being edited again. Please note that the top menu has been replaced with an Excel menu for editing. You may also open the spreadsheet in Excel by selecting Open from the Worksheet Object dropdown menu. Once the spreadsheet is open in Excel, you can change it using that software. Alternately, you may click the Convert button to bring up a Windows dialogue box with several choices for converting files.

Quick Tables

Word's table templates are referred to as Quick Tables. You are not limited to the nine templates offered; you can build your designs and save them in the Quick Tables Gallery for subsequent use. To insert a quick table, choose Insert >'' Tables >'' Quick Tables. Choose a table template from the Quick Tables menu, and then alter it so that it fits your needs and the project's requirements.

Convert Text to Table

The table tools may also make it much simpler to personalize lists and even rearrange their contents at a later time. For this demonstration, we will convert a conventional contact list into a table by using a list of names (first, middle, and last) together with the city, state, area, and occupation of each individual included on the list. People have been using tabs to divide the fields for centuries, often adding a tab or two so that they can accept longer data strings. If you do this, however, when you convert the table to text, it will lose all of the data in the process.

Layout tab

You can change the table's format by selecting the Layout tab. The menu is self-explanatory; if you roll your mouse over a feature, you will obtain more information on that particular function.