Tables and page margins

[Travis]

I routinely download RTF files and change the page margins
from .25" on either side (the default from the source I
use) to .75" on either side. Everything works except for
the tables, which insist on staying .25" from the left
edge. Manually changing each table is very time
consuming. Is there some way to change a global setting to
coerce every table in the document into a .75" margin?

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Version of Word?

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
Word MVP FAQ site: http://www.mvps.org/word
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

This is actually *harder* to do in Word 2000/2002 than in previous versions.
Assuming you want your tables to fit the new margins (extending full margin
width), in Word 2000/2002, you can go to Table Properties and, on the Table
tab, set the preferred width to 100%. But this action is not repeatable for
other tables using F4, and if you recorded a macro to do it, you'd probably
get all the settings in the Table Properties dialog, which wouldn't
necessarily apply to other tables.

There is another method that will streamline the process considerably if you
can live with having all the columns reset to the same width. The first
thing you need to do is restore the old-fashioned Cell Height and Width
command to the Table menu (see
http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/TblsFldsFms/TablePropProbs.htm). Then perform
the following steps in the first table:

1. Select the entire table (Alt+double-click).

2. Table | Cell Height and Width.

3. On the Column tab, type "a" in the column width box (probably anything
that's not a number will work).

4. Press the down arrow and choose "Auto." OK.

5. The table will be resized to margin width.

This *is* repeatable. You need only click in the next table and F4 and
repeat as needed for every other table.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
Word MVP FAQ site: http://www.mvps.org/word
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

I agree that it ought to be made easier, but I'm glad I was able to help a
little, at least.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
Word MVP FAQ site: http://www.mvps.org/word
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.