I have copied a table from the web and pasted it into a Word Doc and would like to get it down to fewer pages.



Currently it is 15 pages.

I notice the table has lots of free space in nearly all cells above and below the text. I could do without that.

I could also, I guess, do without the lines that mark out the cells. Just lines of text with a space between each item would be good enough.

If anyone can show me how to easily (because I'm so bad at Word) massage this thing into a couple or so pages so's I can print it out and have it to hand on the desk it'd be good. (Funny that, when I really want something handy I turn back to paper).

If you'd like to see the original it's creative commons at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dell_Op...ological_order

The list of "Optiplex computers in relative chronological order".

Assuming that when you brought the table into Word it became, or you turned it into an actual Word table, there are several things to do. First, you may wish to set your page for landscape, rather than portrait, orientation, using the Layout options. Then, in the Table properties dialogue, you may wish to set a width that will fit on you page. Next, you can select all the text, open the Paragraph properties dialogue, and set single line-spacing and zero points of space above and below the paragraphs. Finally, you can select the table itself, by clicking on the + in the box that appears when you hover over the first cell (or using Select Table from the menus), opening Table properties dialogue. On the Row tab, uncheck the row height box. On the Cell tab, set zero or jut a small number of points above and below cells.

Of course, you can also select all the text and decrease the point size.

Hope this helps.

Ulodesk

yes, I got it into word and I already had landscape selected and it fits the page.

It's just the sheer size - I mean length - of it.

Your suggestions may well fix it. thanks.

How do I select only the text, though, t hat's interesting? That way it all comes out of the table and just becomes text? That's probably the best thing I think. But when I've done a select, with the mouse, start, hold, move, release, I get the whole thing, table and all don't I?

I'll go try.

thanks again.

You could: (a) reduce the font size (e.g. to 8pt); (b) use a narrower font (e.g. Arial Narrow); (c) reduce size of the 'Allow spacing between cells' setting; and/or (d) reduce sizes of the default cell margins.

__________________
Cheers,
Paul Edstein
[Fmr MS MVP - Word]

I'm down to a small enough font laterally - i.e. fits on landscape. I think I need compression vertically - to get fewer pages.

That 'copy text' thing sounds like the best bet to me. But I still don't know how to do it. Haven't actually tried yet. Haven't had time. Just snuck a quick look at the computer now...can't stay..

Copying just the text risks destroying the table layout.

With the changes I suggested, it comes down to just three A4 pages - portrait or landscape - with 2.25cm margins all around.

By reducing the font size to 7.5pt and the page margins to 1cm, I can get it down to two pages.

__________________
Cheers,
Paul Edstein
[Fmr MS MVP - Word]

Well that's pretty convincing. Because that's quite small enough. I better get down to it and follow your suggestions to the letter. When I can I will do that and I'll let you know how I get on.

Thanks a lot.

regards,

ab