WD5x: How to Automatically Resize Column Widths to Be Equal

• Microsoft Word for the Macintosh, versions 5.0, 5.1, 5.1a

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.

MORE INFORMATION

To do this, follow these steps:

1. Select the entire table.

2. On the Format menu, click Table Cells.

3. Verify that Apply To is set to Each Cell In Table

4. In the Column Width box, type "Auto" (without the quotation marks).

5. Click OK.

Additional Information about Table Formatting in Word 5.x

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

NOTE: The first and second options will change the sizes of only those cells/columns where the selection is located, while the third and fourth options will actually adjust the widths of all the columns in the row(s) containing the selection.

   This option               Does this
   ------------------------------------------------------------------------

   Entire Columns Selected  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     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       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.

REFERENCES

Word for Macintosh 5.x User's Guide, Chapter 17, "Tables"