WD: How to Resize All Table Column Widths to be Equal in MacWord

 Last reviewed: February 5, 1998
Article ID: Q101194
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Word for Macintosh, versions 4.0, 5.0, 5.1, 6.0

SUMMARY

In Word, you can change the width of several columns in a table at once so that all of the cells have the same width and the table will fit within the specified margins. To resize the table, follow these steps:

  1. Select the entire table.

  2. On the Format menu, click Table Cells (click Cells in Word 4.0).

  3. Verify that Apply To is set to Each Cell In Table (or, Whole Table in Word 4.0). (See "More Information" below for details.)

  4. In the Column Width box (or, the "Width of Column(s) #" field in Word 4.0), type "Auto" (without the quotation marks).

  5. Click OK.

The table will now be resized.

MORE INFORMATION

In the (Format) Table Cells dialog box (or, Cells dialog box in Word 4.0), the Apply To heading has four possible selections (or, two selections in Word 4.0), which will result in different outcomes depending upon what is selected in the table. Selecting the different choices changes which columns and rows are resized. Each option is described below: 

  NOTE: The first and second options change the sizes of only those 
  cells/columns where the selection is located, while the third
  and fourth options actually adjust the widths of all the columns 
  in the row(s) containing the selection.
  • Entire Columns Selected (Whole Table in Word 4.0)

    This will equally resize all of the columns in the selection (even if the column is only partially selected) so that all of the columns in those rows will fit between the set margins.

  • Selection

    This will equally resize only those cells that are selected so that all of the columns in those rows fit between the set margins.

  • Entire Rows Selected (Not Available in Word 4.0)

    This will equally resize all of the columns in the rows that contain the selection so that each column is the same width and those rows fit between the set margins.

  • Each Cell in Table (Not Available in Word 4.0)

    This will equally resize all of the cells in the table (regardless of the selection) so that the entire table fits within the set margins. This will appear by default when the entire table is selected.

    • Additional query words: re-size size
    Keywords : macword winword word6
    Version : MACINTOSH:4.0,5.0,5.10,6.0
    Platform : MACINTOSH
    Issue type : kbhowto kbinfo

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    Last reviewed: February 5, 1998
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