Column resizing problems -- help?

[bmuse21]

I've searched & read threads on column resizing, but my problem persists.
Hoping someone can help!

I have a document consisting of multiple (independent) tables. The top two
rows of cells contain identifying text for what's in that particular table.
In the default template I created, the cells are just wide enough for the
words they contain -- initially, "preferred width" is checked.

But when I replace this text with anything longer -- replacing "Eyes" with
"Eyelashes", for example -- the cell does not expand to accommodate the new
text. Neither "Wrap Text" NOR "Fit Text" are checked under the Cell tab in
Table Properties, nor is "Automatically resize to fit contents" under Table.

If I manually resize the column to fit the text, the entire table resizes to
the right, often right off the page boundary.

I can right-click and choose "Autofit to contents", but this makes the cells
become part of the columns underneath them and throws everything way off.

I've tried turning all the above settings on AND off, with the same results.
This template will be used to edit dozens if not hundreds of documents
formatted the same way, so I really need these cells to resize for new text
content, without resizing the right margin of the table and without having to
manually compute column widths for every single one.

Can anyone help..???

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

I'm confused. If you want the table to resize to fit the contents, why do
you have that option disabled?

 

[Stefan Blom]

If you want column size to change to fit the contents of the cells,
you'll have to check the option to "Automatically resize to fit
contents" (in Table>Table Properties>Table tab>Options) and make sure
that no "Preferred width" has been set for columns, individual cells,
or the entire table (Column tab, Cell tab, and Table tab in
Table>Table Properties).