Tables - Adobe InDesign User Group

InDesign CS3

Tables

Presented by

Noha Edell

Adobe Systems Incorporated
Business Development Manager
Creative Pro, Core Business Sales
North America

Tables are more than rows & columns

Where there is information to be managed on a page, there is potential for a table.
Don’t limit your imagination. This entire handout could easily be set up as a table.
Take the time to become familiar with Table features available in InDesign CS3, and
you’ll discover countless uses and new ways to extend creativity.

▶ Customize Inline Graphics as Anchored Objects
Control positioning of a graphic or shape by converting it to an Anchored
Object so that it works “outside the box”.

▶ Embed a Table within a Table
Complex tables or design elements can be worked on as separate tables and
then combined into a single table to simplify the process or share the workload.

▶ Create Table and Cell Styles
Use Table Styles and Cell Styles to quickly apply and update formatting of similar
tables throughout a document. The styles can be loaded into other InDesign
documents to maintain consistency across multiple projects.

▶ Import from Word and Excel
Maintain links with spreadsheets imported from Word and Excel so that edits in
the original document can be updated in the Links panel. Apply Table and Cell
Styles to simplify the formatting process.

1 InDesign CS3 – Tables

InDesign CS3

Where to Start

Tables exist inside text frames, and all work is done with the Type tool. When tables
are placed into a document, a new text frame is automatically created containing
the table.

Insert Table

With the cursor inside a text frame, choose Insert Table from the Table menu. Enter
the number of rows, columns and header and footer rows in the dialog. If Table
Styles have been created, they can be selected from the Table Style menu.

The default settings for tables are a
1-point black stroke and 4-point text
inset on all sides of each cell.

Convert Text To Table

Tab- or comma-delimited text can be converted to a table. Select all text that will
be used in the table and choose Convert Text to Table from the Table menu. In the
dialog, choose the appropriate column and row separators. Select a Table Style if
one has been created, or use the default.

Default separators that can
be selected from the dialog
menus are: Tab, Comma and
Paragraph. Different separators
can be entered in either field.

TIP

Use keyboard shortcuts to
eliminate trips to menus
and panels. The shortcut
to Insert a Table is:

Shift+Command+Option+T
(Shift+Ctrl+Alt+T on Windows).

2 InDesign CS3 – Tables

InDesign CS3

Importing Tables

Word and Excel tables are imported automatically as InDesign tables, whether
you use the Place command from the File menu or drag and drop the files onto an
InDesign page. Either method automatically creates a text frame around the table.

Importing Tables from Word

When placing a Word file (File > Place), make sure that “Show Import Options” is
checked in the lower left corner of the Place dialog. This allows you to choose how
the table is imported.

These settings allow you to remove or
retain formatting from the incoming
document.

• You can choose to remove styles and
formatting from text and tables to
start with an unformatted table in
InDesign.

• Or, you can preserve styles and
formatting from the Word document.

• If you choose to preserve styles and
formatting, you can also customize
style import by mapping Word styles
to existing InDesign styles.

TIP Importing Tables from Excel

InDesign Preferences can be Excel tables are placed in the same manner as Word files. By checking “Show Import
set to determine how tables Options” you can determine which parts of a table are imported.

are imported. Under Type • Choose which worksheet and range
Preferences, you can choose to of cells to import.
create links when placing text
• Choose to import as a formatted
and spreadsheet files. Under or unformatted table or import as
Clipboard Handling Preferences, tabbed text.

you can choose to include all • Assign an InDesign Table Style, if one
information (Index Markers, has been created.
Swatches, Styles, etc.) or text only.
• Choose whether or not to honor
Excel’s cell alignment.

• Determine the number of decimal
places to include and how
typographer quotes are handled.

3 InDesign CS3 – Tables

InDesign CS3

Table Tools

InDesign CS3 offers multiple ways to access the tools you need to design and
format tables. As you become familiar with the options, you will determine which
of these options works best for your own workflow and design purposes.

Table Menu:
Not only does the menu lead
to options for formatting, but
this is where you go to create
a new table.

Table Panel:
Now grouped with the Table Styles and Cell

Styles panels, most options for formatting
tables are available from the panel or its menu.

Stroke Proxy
Contextual Menu

Control Panel: Merge Stroke Cell Styles Cell Height Cell Insets
Cells Options
Vertical No. of
Alignment Rows

Text No. of Unmerge Table Styles Cell Width
Rotation Columns Cells

Cell Styles Options Menu Table Styles Options Menu Contextual
Menu:

Access the
menu by

Command- or
Right-Clicking

an existing
table.

TIP Cell Styles Menu: Table Styles
Create Cell Styles Menu:
The blue lines in the Stroke Proxy
indicate which parts of the cell or that can be applied Create Table
to single or multiple Styles that can
cells will be affected by a stroke.
Click the lines in the proxy to cells, or used to set be applied to
up Table Styles. other tables.
select or deselect them in order to
apply a stroke to only some
of the cell edges.

4 InDesign CS3 – Tables

InDesign CS3

Working Inside Tables

Use the Type tool to work inside tables. Although changes
can be made from the Control panel, Table menu and Table
panel menu, an easier method is to use the Contextual menu.
Make your selection and then Control- or Right Click to
choose an option from the menu. The menu options change,
depending on what is selected. For instance, if text is selected,
options for text as well as cell options are available.

Make Selections Use Keyboard Shortcuts, Tab
and Arrow keys to move from
Select text. cell to cell.

Select single or
multiple cells.

Select rows or
columns.

Split & merge Cells

Cells can be split and Merge Cells.
merged an unlimited Split Cell Vertically.
number of times, Split Cell Horizontally.
giving you infinite
layout possibilities.

TIP Insert, Delete & rotate

Click and drag to select individual Options to Insert Rows and Columns let you Cell content can be Rotated 90°,
cells. To quickly select an entire choose the number to insert and position 180° or 270°.
row or column, place the cursor relative to your selection inside the table.
over the top of a column or the
left edge of a row.

The cursor changes to a
directional arrow, and one click

will select the
entire row column.

5 InDesign CS3 – Tables

InDesign CS3

Table and Cell Formatting

Table and Cell Options are accessed from either the Table menu or the Table panel
menu. Table Options affect the entire table. Cell Options affect individual cells or a
range of selected cells.

Table Options Five tabs across the top of the Table Options dialog
offer options for different settings.
Table Setup lets you determine the number of rows,
columns, headers and footers, set options for the
border, apply spacing before and after the table and
set preferences for the drawing order of strokes.
Tabs for Row Strokes, Column Strokes and Fills let
you set up attributes that alternate according to your
specifications.

The Headers and Footers tab lets you
determine the number of rows assigned to
each and choose where they will appear.

Two Header Rows
Alternating Fills

Alternating Column Strokes

Cell Options Text: Assign cell Options to
insets, vertical
TIP alignment, baseline
When alternating strokes and fills settings, clipping
options for images
are assigned in Table Options, within a cell and text
they update automatically rotation.
as rows and columns are Strokes and Fills:
added or deleted. Apply stroke and fill
attributes. Use the
To achieve consistent strokes, proxy to select which
assign identical settings to each strokes are affected.
Rows and Columns:
of the alternating strokes. Specify row height
and column width
6 InDesign CS3 – Tables and determine how
the table will flow if
threaded.
Diagonal Lines:
Determine the
direction of the line
across a cell and it’s
attributes.

InDesign CS3

Table and Cell Styles

Use Table and Cell Styles to quickly make document-wide changes to table formatting,
even spreadsheets from Excel or Word. When settings are altered in a Table or Cell
Style, the changes are automatically upadated in all tables to which the style has
been applied.

Cell Styles

Cell Styles can be set up entirely To apply Table or Cell Styles, select a table or cell and click
from the settings within the New a style name in the Table or Cell Styles panel.
Cell Styles dialog, or you can Individual table and cell formatting can be used
format a cell in the document and to change (override) an applied style, just as with
then click the New Cell Style icon or Paragraph and Character Styles. Clear all overrides prior
choose new Cell Style from the Cell to applying a style to insure the table or cell follows the
Styles panel menu. Table or Cell Style as intended. See the InDesign CS3 User
A Cell Style includes formatting Guide for details on overrides.
such as cell insets, paragraph
styles, and strokes and fills.
Existing Paragraph Styles can be
selected from the dialog menu.

Table Styles

TIP Similar to Cell Styles, Table Styles can
be set up entirely from the settings
Table and Cell Styles are within the New Table Styles dialog,
similar to Paragraph and or you can format a table in the
Character Styles. They can be document and then choose New
loaded into other documents Table Style from the Cell Styles panel.
and applied to maintain A Table Style includes formatting
consistency of table formatting such as table borders, row and
column strokes, and fills.
in multiple documents. Existing Cell Styles can be selected
from the dialog menu and applied to
Header and Footer Rows, Body Rows,
or the Left or Right Column.

7 InDesign CS3 – Tables

InDesign CS3

Learn from the Pros

http://www.adobe.com/designcenter/video_workshop/

Select InDesign from the Video Workshop product list
and scroll through the topics at the bottom to locate
videos about tables:
• Creating and formatting tables
• Adding headers and footers to tables
• Placing images in tables
• Using table styles
The Video Workshop is also included with
your CS3 application disks.

Three podcasts by Michael Murphy explore how good tables can improve your
design and good design can improve your tables. Episode 18 covers table basics.

www.theindesigner.com/podcasts/tid18_theindesigner_18.mp4

Episode 19 explores the Table Options and Cell Options dialog boxes, Header,
Footer and Body rows, Alternating Fills and Strokes, and threading a table across
multiple frames and pages.

www.theindesigner.com/podcasts/tid19_theindesigner_19.mp4

Episode 20 shows how to add bells
and whistles to rows and columns
by placing graphics and shapes into
tables, demonstrates how to use tables
in combination with other InDesign
features, and covers nesting a table inside
another table.

www.theindesigner.com/podcasts/tid20_theindesigner_20.mp4

http://www.indesignusergroup.com/learning_center

Find videos, books, magazines, podcasts and more
to help increase your efficiency and effectiveness
in InDesign.

TIP Your very own Adobe Bridge!

Remember that InDesign Help Download the CS3 User Guide
is only a few clicks away. and Workflow Guide from Adobe
It is accessed from the Bridge Home.
InDesign Help menu.

8 InDesign CS3 – Tables

Keyboard Shortcuts for Tables

is table lists every possible table-related command in InDesign that can have a keyboard shortcut assigned to it,
along with their menu item equivalents (where applicable). One thing to keep in mind when working with text in tables
is the Option (Alt) key. For example, Command-A (Ctrl-A) selects all text in a frame, and Option-Command-A (Alt-
Ctrl-A) selects all cells in a table. Likewise, Command-B (Ctrl-B) opens up the Text Frame Options dialog, and Option-
Command-B (Alt-Ctrl-B) opens up the Cell Options dialog box.

COMMAND KEYBOARD SHORTCUT MENU ITEM
Opt/Alt–Shift–Cmd/Ctrl–T Table --> Insert Table...
Insert Table... Opt/Alt–Shift–Cmd/Ctrl–B Table --> Table Options --> Table Setup...
Table Options Table --> Cell Options --> Text...
Opt/Alt–Cmd/Ctrl–B Table --> Select --> Table
Cell Options Opt/Alt–Cmd/Ctrl–A Table --> Select --> Cell
Select Table Table --> Select --> Row
Cmd/Ctrl–/ Table --> Select --> Column
Select Cell Cmd/Ctrl–3 Table --> Insert --> Row
Select Row Opt/Alt–Cmd/Ctrl–3 Table --> Insert --> Column
Select Column Cmd/Ctrl–9 Table --> Delete --> Row
Insert Row... Opt/Alt–Cmd/Ctrl–9 Table --> Delete --> Column
Insert Column... Cmd/Ctrl–Delete Window --> Type & Tables --> Table
Delete Row Shift–Delete
Delete Column Table --> Table Options --> Diagonal Lines
Open/Close Table Panel Shift–F9 Table --> Table Options --> Rows and Columns
Toggle Between Cell and Text Selection Escape Table --> Table Options --> Strokes and Fills...
Move Down Down Arrow Table --> Convert Table to Text...
Move Left Left Arrow Table --> Convert Text to Table...
Move Right Right Arrow Table --> Convert Rows --> To Body
Up Arrow Table --> Convert Rows --> To Footer
Move Up Opt/Alt–Page Up Table --> Convert Rows --> To Header
Move to First Cell in Column Opt/Alt–Home Table --> Delete --> Table
Page Up Table --> Distribute Columns Evenly
Move to First Cell in Row Opt/Alt–Page Down Table --> Distribute Rows Evenly
Move to First Row in Frame Opt/Alt–End Table --> Edit Footer
Move to Last Cell in Column Page Down Table --> Edit Header

Move to Last Cell in Row Tab
Move to Last Row in Frame Shift–Tab
Shift–Up Arrow
Move to Next Cell Shift–Down Arrow
Move to Previous Cell Shift–Left Arrow
Shift–Right Arrow
Select Cells Above
Select Cells Below Enter
Select Cells to the Left Shift–Enter
Select Cells to the Right none defined*
Start Row on Next Column none defined*
Start Row in Next Frame none defined*
Keep with Next Row none defined*
none defined*
Diagonal Lines... none defined*
Rows and Columns... none defined*
none defined*
Strokes and Fills... none defined*
Convert Table to Text... none defined*
Convert Text to Table... none defined*
Convert to Body Rows none defined*
Convert to Footer Rows none defined*
Convert to Header Rows none defined*

Delete Table
Distribute Columns Evenly

Distribute Rows Evenly
Edit Footer
Edit Header

* Shortcuts for these commands can be assigned by going to Edit --> Keyboard Shortcuts

Keyboard Shortcuts for Tables (continued)

COMMAND KEYBOARD SHORTCUT MENU ITEM
none defined* Table --> Go to Row
Go to Row... none defined*
Go To Body Row # none defined* Table --> Merge Cells
Go To Footer Row # none defined* Table --> Unmerge Cells
Go To Header Row # none defined* Table --> Select Header Rows
none defined* Table --> Select Body Rows
Merge Cells none defined* Table --> Select Footer Rows
Unmerge Cells none defined* Table --> Split Cell Horizontally
Select Header Rows none defined* Table --> Split Cell Vertically
Select Body Rows none defined* Table --> Table Options --> Alternating Column Strokes...
Select Footer Rows none defined* Table --> Table Options --> Alternating Fills...
Split Cell Horizontally none defined* Table --> Table Options --> Alternating Row Strokes...
Split Cell Vertically none defined* Table --> Table Options --> Headers and Footers...
Alternating Column Strokes... none defined* Window --> Type & Tables --> Cell Styles
Alternating Fills... none defined* Window --> Type & Tables --> Table Styles
Alternating Row Strokes... none defined*
Headers and Footers... none defined*
Open/Close Cell Styles Panel none defined*
Open/Close Table Styles Panel none defined*
Break Link to Style (Table Styles) none defined*
Clear Overrides (Table Styles) none defined*
Close All Style Groups (Table Styles) none defined*
Copy to Group... (Table Styles) none defined*
Delete Style (Table Styles) none defined*
Duplicate Style... (Table Styles) none defined*
Load Table Styles... (Table Styles) none defined*
New Group from Styles... (Table Styles) none defined*
New Style Group... (Table Styles) none defined*
New Table Style... (Table Styles) none defined*
Open All Style Groups (Table Styles) none defined*
Rede ne Style (Table Styles) none defined*
Sort by Name (Table Styles) none defined*
Style Options... (Table Styles) none defined*
Break Link to Style (Cell Styles) none defined*
Clear Attributes Not De ned by Style (Cell Styles) none defined*
Clear Overrides (Cell Styles) none defined*
Close All Style Groups (Cell Styles) none defined*
Copy to Group... (Cell Styles) none defined*
Delete Style (Cell Styles) none defined*
Duplicate Style... (Cell Styles) none defined*
Load Cell Styles... (Cell Styles) none defined*
New Cell Style... (Cell Styles) none defined*
New Group from Styles... (Cell Styles) none defined*
New Style Group... (Cell Styles) none defined*
Open All Style Groups (Cell Styles) none defined*
Rede ne Style (Cell Styles) none defined*
Sort by Name (Cell Styles)
Style Options... (Cell Styles)

* Shortcuts for these commands can be assigned by going to Edit --> Keyboard Shortcuts