Comments on: Easier Table Fill and Stroke Formatting

By: Jennifer Ochman

Jennifer Ochman — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 18:37:19 +0000

I’m having difficulty turning off cell strokes. When I display the table object, the boxes don’t have a stroke (which is correct), but when I use the object out of the library and it’s filled with data, there is a stroke on the cell. I’m also having the reverse problem - I put a stroke around several cells in my table object and it looks fine, until I use the object, when only half of the strokes are appearing. What’s happening? I’ve used the above advice to clear out (or apply) the strokes, but it’s not working. Thanks.

By: Brian Keeling

Brian Keeling — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 20:14:41 +0000

I retract the above question, with apologies. I posed it in the wrong forum. Besides, I now have the solution: select the table, click on Table - Cell Options - Text, and change the top and bottom cell insets.

By: Brian Keeling

Brian Keeling — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 17:22:18 +0000

I’m a beginner trying to learn table formatting. My problem: the table rows are inflexibly widely spaced apart because of the default slug setting. When the type is 7-pt., e.g., I want a baseline-to-baseline measure of 9 pts, not 13, which is as close as I can get it! Any way to close up those rows? Thank you.

By: Wynand

Wynand — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 10:43:52 +0000

Hi Anne-Marie, I got it to format properly by clearing all srokes on the tool palette. I then selected the cells and added strokes with the the strokes palette. I got what I wanted in the end. Thanks for the help.

By: Wynand

Wynand — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 09:56:32 +0000

I want the top row of cells in a table to have a line above and below it and the last row of cells to have one below only. After reading your advice yesterday I did switch to the Strokes and Swatches palettes. It works much better! Thanks.

One problem I have now is that cell borders appear in the fill colour and some in black. No doubt I have finger trouble, but I learn fast, thanks to your excellent help and your book is always within reach! I’ll try your suggestion tonight.

By: Anne-Marie

Anne-Marie — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 15:38:20 +0000

Wynand, I’m not sure what you mean by “[it looks like ] hidden formatting causing the plus sign” in regards to your strokes. I’m guessing that you’re trying to make a stroke look a certain way and it’s ignoring you?

Try using the method I described in the post: Use the Stroke palette and the Swatches palette instead of Cell Options. For example, select the entire table and set the Stroke weight to 0; that’ll clear out *all* strokes and let you start fresh.

Also, there are some formatting commands that just can’t be applied to tables at all. You can’t “add space” in between cells, for example, as you can with an HTML table.

If you’re still having trouble, feel free to take a screen shot and describe what you’re trying to do in an email to me and David (at info@indesignsecrets.com).

By: Wynand

Wynand — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 07:19:55 +0000

I cannot get my strokes to look like I want! Is there some other place formatting is set apart from Cell options? It looks almost like styles with hidden formatting causing the plus sign. Only I can’t clear it.

By: Linda Sweeney

Linda Sweeney — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 03:53:23 +0000

Annoyed with difficulty of placing text into pre-formatted tables. Seem to need to place table, then format, manually. So much for pre-formatting. Found WoodWing SmartStyles to be very helpful in formatting tables (does text too). Free 30 day trial.

By: Michael Murphy

Michael Murphy — Wed, 30 Aug 2006 13:05:28 +0000

It seems the Command key wasn’t necessary in CS1 either. I stand happily corrected. My left thumb and poor, put-upon Command key thank you both.

By: David Blatner

David Blatner — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 18:14:45 +0000

Thanks, Michael, but I think it’s even easier than that: You don’t need to hold down the Command/Ctrl modifier. Just click at the intersection to turn both segments on/off. Great point, though.