Using the Table Layout Tool to Make Nonstandard Tables

Sometimes you might want to make less structured tables or use a table to create a certain layout. This is where the Table Layout Tool comes in. The Table Layout tool gives you the option to resize individual cells without affecting the other cells on the column or row (as long as you don’t try to make them bigger than the row or column or smaller than the content of the individual cell). You can use the Table Layout tool to edit an existing table, or you can draw new tables and cells using the Draw Layout Table and Draw Layout Cell functions, all found on the Tables toolbar.

To activate the Layout tool, place the cursor anywhere inside the table, and click the Show Layout Tool button. This changes the appearance of the table in Design view by giving the table a green outline and each of the cells a blue outline. It also tells you the actual pixel size of each of the rows and columns (see Figure 9.12). Hovering the mouse close to the corners or the left and right edges of each cell turns the pointer into an angled symbol to indicate that you can change the size or shape of that cell. If you click and drag the sides or corner of a cell to resize it, the Layout tool creates new cells to accommodate the new layout. You can achieve the same results by splitting cells and changing their widths and heights manually, but the Layout tool makes this process much easier. Be advised that editing an existing table with the Table Layout tool can be difficult because tables are quite inflexible. In many cases it’s easier to create a new layout table from scratch than to edit an existing table.