Draw a Table: MS Word

Another way to create a table in MS Word is to draw it by using two buttons found on the Tables and Borders toolbar. Using your mouse, you can drag a rectangle on the screen and then divide it into rows and columns of varying sizes and shapes.

When the table you're creating is a simple grid, using the Table button works well. But sometimes you want larger and smaller cells, rows, having different numbers or sizes of columns, or various columns divided into several row arrangements.

In this case, you can use the Draw Table feature to sketch out the exact structure of the table at the outset, rather than adjusting column widths and row heights, and merging or splitting cells.

Create a Complex Table

1. Click the Tables and Borders button on the Standard toolbar to display the Tables and Borders tool bar. The Draw Table button is active when you turn on the toolbar.
    
2. Drag diagonally on the screen with the Draw Table mouse pointer. As you drag, a dashed boundary appears, allowing you to specify the overall size of the table.
    
3. Drag across the table to add rows; drag down to add columns.
    
4. Click the Eraser button and drag a line to erase it, if you need to make changes to the table structure.
    
5. Click in a cell and begin typing the text.

Using the Draw Table button makes it easy to create a complex table.

Go ahead and play with this tip for awhile and see how creative you can be!

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