If you use Microsoft Discussion, chances are that you're familiar with tables. Tables allow you to nowadays information in an easy-to-assimilate format—in rows and columns. This can be useful when preparing reports, list features, or displaying data in Word.

Perhaps you know how to add tables in Word using the popular Insert Table part, among others. Only have you ever tried to describe your own custom tables?

In this article, you'll learn how to use the draw tabular array feature in Microsoft Word to rapidly draw tables, plus how to customize the tables that you describe.

What Is Draw Table in Microsoft Word?

Simply as the name implies, the Depict Table feature in Word allows you to draw and blueprint your ain tables by paw using your mouse and a pen tool.

Depict Table is one of the 5 methods of creating tables in Word. Others include Insert Table, Catechumen Text to Table, Insert Excel Spreadsheet, and Quick Tables.

Describe Table allows you to customize your tables in far more means. For instance, you can place a table exactly where you lot want it and manage its proportions quickly if you describe it.

If, on the other hand, you employ the Insert Tabular array choice, your table will expand to fit the folio. You'll and then need to start adjusting its proportions using the table formatting tool.

What's more than, with Draw Table, you can draw diagonal lines and cells within cells. Below is an case of what'south possible with Draw Table.

Draw Table example MS Word

The Draw Table feature is currently non available in the Microsoft Word mobile app, only here's how to apply it in Microsoft Office 365.

How to Use the Draw Table Characteristic in Microsoft Word

Here's how to draw a unproblematic 10×five table in Microsoft Word using the Depict Table feature.

  1. Launch the Microsoft Give-and-take desktop app on your PC and open the certificate in which you desire to insert a tabular array.
  2. Click the Insert tab in the ribbon surface area and select Tabular array from the carte options.
  3. Scroll downwardly and click Describe Table. This volition activate the pen tool with which you lot'll draw your tabular array.
    Draw Table click Table Draw Table
  4. At present, click your mouse and drag across and down one inch to create a single cell outline for your tabular array.
  5. Employ your pen to draw a vertical line that divides this cell into two equal parts to create a 2×1 table.
    Draw Table create 2x1 table
  6. Click exterior the tabular array to conciliate the pen tool. Now, place your mouse pointer at the midpoint and click on the + button. This will add more than columns to your right. Do this until y'all take a x×1 table.
    Draw Table create 10x1 cell
  7. Place your pointer at the upper-left tip of the table to reveal the same + button from before. Click on it until you lot have four additional rows.
    Draw Table 10x5 table created
  8. You lot've now created a 10×5 table using the Draw Table characteristic. Notice that the cells are of the same proportions.

And simply like other tables, you lot can as format and customize this tabular array to your liking.

Basic Formatting and Customizations for Drawn Tables

You can format and customize the tables y'all've drawn with Describe Table in several ways. Here are some of the basics.

1. Insert Rows, Columns, and Cells

If you begin by drawing a 2×1 table, you can expand it to whatsoever size of your option by clicking the + button around the edges or using the Insert function. Simply select the table, right-click inside it, scroll downward and select Insert.

Draw Table Insert rows columns cells

By using this method, y'all can insert columns to the left and right, rows higher up and below, as well every bit cells.

two. Distribute Rows and Columns Evenly

If you drew your own table by hand, at that place's a good chance that some cells will be asymmetric. To fix this, select the tabular array and right-click inside it. Select Distribute Rows Evenly or Distribute Columns Evenly.

Draw Table select distribute columns evenly

This will brand all the cells of your table of equal sizes. Y'all tin can still grab the pen tool if you want to add any odd-shaped cells.

3. Restrict Editing

If yous've put in some difficult work into creating your tables, yous wouldn't want that to become to waste product. Yous can limit other authors from making sure changes to your tables during a review.

To do and then, select the table or portion of it for which you want to restrict editing. Now, click on Review, then click Restrict Editing to your right-mitt side.

Draw Table Restrict Editing

In the Restrict Editing pane, gear up your preferences and click on Yes, Beginning Enforcing Protection.

4. Watermark Your Table

Watermarking your table is another fashion of branding it and preventing unauthorized copying and distribution. If your table contains sensitive information, and so you should definitely add a watermark.

Identify your cursor at the spot where the watermark should be, and then click on Insert > WordArt. Select your preferred style and enter watermark text in the Your text here box.

Draw Table with Watermark

Drag and driblet the box wherever yous wish within the table.

5. Color-Code Your Table

Yous tin can color-code your tabular array to highlight certain cardinal information. This is cracking for piece of cake reference when working with large tables containing lots of data.

To color a single cell, identify your mouse arrow in the cell and click once the black pointer pointer appears. Click on the Shading tool and pick a color to apply to your selection.

Draw Table color coded table

You lot can too apply a single color to an entire row or column by highlighting the row or column. This also makes your tabular array visually appealing. With Describe Table, the heaven is the limit. Y'all can cutting, copy, paste, delete, distribute, autofit, straight text, insert explanation, and even add comments.

You can besides access the Table Backdrop from where you can brand additional changes to the tabular array, rows, columns, cells, and alt text.

​​​​Tabulate Your Microsoft Word Documents With More Flexibility

DIY or not, drawing your ain tables by hand gives you a certain level of control and input over the way your tables look and feel. You can create just nearly whatever kind of tabular array you can imagine in Microsoft Word and customize it accordingly using Draw Tabular array. So, go ahead and exist artistic.

You can also employ Draw Table in combination with other methods of adding tables in Microsoft Word for greater variety and customization. If yous utilise tables a lot in your line of work, this tin help you to up your tables game.

8 Formatting Tips for Perfect Tables in Microsoft Word

Read Side by side

Nigh The Author

Joy Okumoko (133 Articles Published)

Joy is an Internet and Tech buff who loves the internet and everything engineering. When not writing near the Internet or Tech, she'southward busy knitting and making sundry handcrafts, or watching NollyWood.

More than From Joy Okumoko