Table columns in Microsoft Word automatically resize to fit text or graphics. If you type a word that is longer than the width of the column, the column adjusts to accommodate the text. If you don't want your columns to resize when you type, click in the table, click Table Properties on the Table menu, and then click the Table tab. Click Options, and then clear the Automatically resize to fit contents check box.

If you set your table to automatically resize when you change your window size, make sure that you are viewing your document in Web layout view (Web layout view: A view of a document as it will appear in a Web browser. For example, the document appears as one long page (without page breaks) and text and tables wrap to fit in the window.). Tables do not resize in normal view (normal view: A view that shows text formatting and a simplified page layout. Normal view is convenient for most editing and formatting tasks.), print layout view (print layout view: A view of a document or other object as it will appear when you print it. For example, items such as headers, footnotes, columns, and text boxes appear in their actual positions.), or outline view (outline view: A view that shows the headings of a document indented to represent their level in the document's structure. You can also use outline view to work with master documents.).

If a single table row splits at a page break, Microsoft Word sometimes shows an inaccurate line count on the status bar for those lines on the new page that fall outside the row. If you must have an accurate line count, you can prevent table rows from breaking across pages.

• You might need to adjust the indentations within the cell. Click in the cell (cell: A box formed by the intersection of a row and column in a worksheet or a table, in which you enter information.). On the Format menu, click Paragraph, click the Indents and Spacing tab, and then specify new measurements under Indentation.
• You might have set an exact row height that's smaller than the text you are trying to display. Click in the cell. On the Table menu, click Table Properties, and then click the Row tab. In the Row height is box, click At least.

  If you clear the Specify height check box, Microsoft Word will automatically adjust the height to the contents.

By default, when you create a table, it has a black ½-pt border that prints. If you remove this border, gray gridlines (gridlines: Thin lines that indicate the cell boundaries in a table. Gridlines do not print when you print a document.) still appear. These gridlines do not print. If you want to print the lines in your table, you must add a border. If you do not want the gridlines to show in your document, click Hide Gridlines on the Table menu.

You might have text wrapping applied to the table. If you want the table to span more than one page, you must remove text wrapping. Click the table. On the Table menu, click Table Properties, and then click the Table tab. Under Text wrapping, click None.

You might be viewing your document in Web layout view (Web layout view: A view of a document as it will appear in a Web browser. For example, the document appears as one long page (without page breaks) and text and tables wrap to fit in the window.) and have text wrapping applied to your table. If you are not working on a Web page, switch to normal view (normal view: A view that shows text formatting and a simplified page layout. Normal view is convenient for most editing and formatting tasks.) or print layout view (print layout view: A view of a document or other object as it will appear when you print it. For example, items such as headers, footnotes, columns, and text boxes appear in their actual positions.). If you are working on a Web page and want to move the table, you must first remove text wrapping. Click the table. On the Table menu, click Table Properties, and then click the Table tab. Under Text wrapping, click None.

• Press CTRL+TAB.

If you modify an existing table style, all the tables in a document based on that style will change. To avoid changing other tables in your document, create a new style rather than modify an existing style. To create a new style, click New Style in the Styles and Formatting task pane (task pane: A window within an Office application that provides commonly used commands. Its location and small size allow you to use these commands while still working on your files.).