Creating and Formatting Tables in Adobe FrameMaker

This tutorial covers basic concepts about tables in Adobe FrameMaker, including adding rows, columns, and titles and using FrameMaker's Table Designer to change their appearance.

These instructions were tested in FrameMaker version 7.2 on Windows XP; other versions of FrameMaker may vary.

Many commands are accessed from FrameMaker's Table menu, which can be found in two locations: in the menu bar at the top of the window, and from the context menu. (Right click to bring up the context menu.)

Insert a New Table in FrameMaker

To insert a new table into a FrameMaker document, put the cursor where you want it to go and follow these steps:

1. From the Table menu at the top of the window, select Insert Table to open the Insert Table dialog.

2. Select a format from the list on the left. The formatting can be changed later.

3. Enter the number of columns and body rows (rows that will contain data rather than titles) in the boxes on the right. You can also add heading and footing rows if desired. You can add or remove them later.

4. Click Insert. A blank table appears in the document.

To add text, simply put the cursor in the appropriate cell and type. You can add a title in the same way.

Move a Table in FrameMaker

To move the table, select its anchor, the upside-down "T" that appears at the end of the preceding paragraph. That anchor tells FrameMaker where to put the table.

If you can't see the anchor, make sure that "Text Symbols" on FrameMaker's View menu is checked.

Highlighting the anchor highlights the whole table. Type ctrl-x to cut it, put the cursor in the new location, and type ctrl-v to paste it.

Add or Delete Rows and Columns in FrameMaker

Add a Row or Column

To add a row or column, put your cursor in a cell near the future location of the cells to be added. Then:

1. From the Table menu, select Add Rows or Columns to open the Add Rows or Columns dialog.

2. Select the option for either rows or columns and type the number you want to add.

3. You can add rows above or below the cursor, and you can add columns to the right or the left of the cursor. From the drop-down list at the right, select the appropriate location.

4. When you have set the options, click Add.