Cell Formatting Doesn't Stick

[Becky Carter Hickman-Jones]

I've been having a problem for a while now, and it's mystifying. After I
create a table using Table > Insert Table..., I format the cells in the
table using paragraph styles designed for table cells. Sometimes, when I
apply the Table Cell Left style to a cell that is center aligned during the
creation of the table, the formatting will apply, and then within a second,
it pops right back to center aligned. No matter what I do, the formatting
does not stay put, and I can't understand why.

Is there a table setting that prevents this formatting from sticking? Or is
there something else I need to do before I apply a new style? It seems odd
because in regular paragraph text, this would "never" happen.

This quirk is not consistent, and fortunately not frequent, but it's
irritating nonetheless.

I would appreciate any advice.

Thanks,
Beck

 

[Shauna Kelly]

Hi Beck

What you are probably experiencing is a clash between the underlying table
style and the paragraph style of the text.

I'm not a fan of table styles (for the reasons, see
Why I don't use Custom Table Styles in Microsoft Word 2002 and 2003
http://www.ShaunaKelly.com/word/tablestyles/index.html

If you're not intentionally using a table style to create your tables, then
set the default table style to something innocuous (either Table Grid or, to
avoid a different set of problems, Table Normal). To do that, do Table >
Insert > Table. Click the AutoFormat button and choose Table Grid (Word's
default) or Table Normal (plain with no borders). Now, click Default and
make this the default table style.

By the way, if you often have to insert tables formatted with certain
paragraph styles, you could make yourself a sample table, with no content
but formatted as you'd like. Then select it and save it as an AutoText. You
can then invoke the AutoText in several ways. For example, you could put a
button on a toolbar and with one click you could insert a table formatted
just as you'd like. For more info see
http://www.word.mvps.org/FAQs/Customization/AutoText.htm

Hope this helps.

Shauna Kelly. Microsoft MVP.
http://www.shaunakelly.com/word

 

[Becky Carter Hickman-Jones]

Hi Shauna,

Thanks a lot. I figured it was a style issue, but I couldn't remember where
to look. Your help was excellent. Now I've got templates to change!!

Cheers,
Becky

 

[Shauna Kelly]

Hi Becky

I'm glad it helped.

Shauna

Shauna Kelly. Microsoft MVP.
http://www.shaunakelly.com/word