[Libs-Or] Tech-Talk: WORD / Google Docs - Adjust the Table Cell Margins

Tue Oct 31 13:20:01 PDT 2023

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Give your table a polished look

[Tech-Talk 27 years]

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Webinars for You

·    Nov 15: [GOOGLE] Turn Data Into Colorful Dashboards with Google's Looker Studio [3 pm ET for 1 hour]

·    Nov 29: [MOBILE] 10 Things You Can Do with the Google Photo App [3 pm ET for 1 hour]

·    Dec 6: [AI] Web Tools That are Now Using Artificial Intelligence [3 pm ET for 1 hour]

·    Dec 20: [EXCEL] Create a Gantt Chart for Managing Projects and Time [3 pm ET for 1 hour]

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WORD / Google Docs - Adjust the Table Cell Margins

Intermediate

Have you ever noticed that when you insert a Table into your Word document (or Google) the margins are tight? The text hugs the borders without enough padding, and it looks cramped and awkward.

You may have tried to drag the bottom cell line up or down to make the row roomier, but you have to do that row by row. That's not a great fix and doesn't give more padding in the left margin.

Did you know that to give your Table a more polished look you can adjust the Padding (margins) for all of the cells (rows and columns) all at once? You may have missed this option in the past because it's kind of hard to find.

[table cell margins]

As you can see in the examples above, just a bit more padding (margin) helps to make your document easier to read. Let's take a look at this easy fix.

BONUS! Instead of making this same adjustment every time you insert a Table in a document, you can change the default settings so that every time you add a Table, you can skip this step in the future.

WORD: Adjust Table Cell Margins (One-Time Change)

To make the changes to the cell margins, just in the Table you are working on, after you have created your table, you can either:

[options window]

1) Right-click anywhere in it and choose Table Properties from the menu. And then click the Options button at the bottom of the window.

The Table Options window will open.

OR

2) Highlight the Table and click the box with the crosshairs showing in the upper left corner. In the Toolbar at the top of the page click Layout and then the Cell Margins icon from the ribbon.

[cell margins]

[change default padding]
·    In either case, the Table Options window will open.

·    In the Default cell margins section, you can change the Top, Bottom, Left or Right margins to give a bit more padding.

·    Now your new margins will be reflected in the Table in your current document.

WORD: Change the Default Settings for Table Cell Margins in a Template

To change the default cell margins for a Table Template going forward (in new documents), you can either:

·    Edit the Default Table style or
·    Create a New Template

Update Existing Table Template

To change the margins in your Table default style -- or any of the Table styles, you need to start by adding a table (or editing one you have in your document):

1) Highlight the Table and then click the crosshairs box in the upper left corner.

2) In the ribbon at the top of the page, go to the Table Design tab.

3) The plain table on the left of Table Style options will be highlighted as the default style, unless you pick a new one.

4) To edit the default style (the table on the left, or any table style in the menu), right-click on top of it and choose Modify Table Style.

[modify table style]

5) At the bottom left corner of the box that opens, click the Format button and choose Table Properties.

6) As in the first set of instructions above, click the Options button at the bottom of the window.

7) In the Table Options window change the margins in the default cell properties (top, bottom, left and right) to what you prefer.

8) Click OK, then OK again to close the two windows (don't close the last window yet).

9) In the Modify Style window, check the circle next to New documents based on this template so that it will apply to all tables using this template going forward.

[new documents]

Leave the Default Templates Alone And Create A New One

[new table style]

1) Follow steps 1-3 above.

2) In step 4, instead of choosing to edit the default style, right-click on top of any Table template (so that you start with a basic style that you like) and choose New Table Style.

3) In the Name field, give your new Table a name that you'll recognize – like "Custom."

4) Don't close this window. Continue with steps 5-9 above (starting with clicking the Format button at the bottom of the window...)

5) Your new Table will be in the template menu going forward.

[save as new template]

Google Docs: Adjust Table Cell Margins (One-Time Change)

In Google Docs you can change the Table padding in the one you're working in, but you can't make changes to the Table Template.

·    In your Google Doc, click anywhere in your Table, right-click and choose Table Properties.

·    In the Table Properties window panel on the right, click on Cell to open up the options.

·    Highlight all Cells in your table that you would like to apply this formatting to.

·    Under Cell padding increase the number of inches to add more padding around the text in the cell. NOTE: This change applies to ALL sides of the cell (top, bottom, left and right).

[add padding]

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Communications: Persuasion

Assume they have authority and willingness

I was talking with a vendor who was being less than cooperative. In fact, they were coming up with new requirements that would drive the price up ... all of which were a surprise to me.

Instead of arguing with the person, I shifted gears and assumed that they might have the authority (and the willingness) to make a deal.

It's not just that I thought of that idea. I expressed it to them.

"I don't know if you have the authority to come up with a creative solution, but if you do, and are willing, I'd sure appreciate it!."

And they did!

People love to claim the authority they have. When you recognize that they might have it, and assume that if they do they would be willing to help you out, good things can happen.

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Cheers,
Darci Hanning, MLIS (she/her/hers)
Public Library Consultant / CE Coordinator
Continuing Education Resources: https://libguides.osl.state.or.us/conted
State Library of Oregon | Library Support and Development Services
971-375-3491 | darci.hanning at slo.oregon.gov<mailto:darci.hanning at slo.oregon.gov> | www.oregon.gov/library<http://www.oregon.gov/library>
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