PowerPoint Tips

Simple Steps to Create and Format Tables in PowerPoint

Simple Steps to Create and Format Tables in PowerPoint

To enrich your PowerPoint presentations, tables are a perfect choice. They give a more structured and sophisticated look if you want to show complex statistics or comparisons of huge data sets. So, if you have a presentation coming up and want to learn how to create and format tables from scratch, this tutorial will guide you through a few easy steps.

Inserting a Table 

  • Head over to your presentation and choose the slide where you want to insert the table. 
  • Then, click on Insert on the top of the screen and click on the Table option. In this tutorial, we are selecting one with six rows and five columns. You need to move your cursor to cover the number of rows and columns you want to insert. 

Note: As you will drag across these rows and columns, you will also be able to see a preview of the table on your slide for convenience.

Formatting the Style of the Table in PowerPoint 

Once you insert a table, you will see a few formatting options upfront in the Design tab. You can keep the formatting of the table as it is or choose another style from the options with alternating colors and the header row. 

Select the table and start formatting it as you desire. 

Table Styling Options

On the left side of the ribbon, you will see several table style options. The Header Row and Banded Rows options might already be checked. 

Apart from these two options, there will be other options as well, such as Total Row, First Column, Last Column, and Banded Columns. Each option highlights the corresponding part of the table. 

Note: Banded rows and columns simply mean alternating colors. 

Table Styles 

Depending upon the theme of your presentation, you can find a matching table style from the available styles. The up and down arrows will help you see a quick view of the styles. 

Or, you can simply click the lined arrow to open the list of all the available styles. Choose your preferred style and select it; your table will update accordingly. 

To the right side of the styles, you even have options for Shading, Borders, and Effects

You can apply gradient, picture, texture, or table background through the Shading option; it will give a creative look to your table and add to the appeal of the overall presentation. 

Borders give you options to apply the desired border to the table, such as top, bottom, left, right, all borders, etc. Using borders, you can distinguish or highlight any particular part of your table.

Note: If you want your border to be in a specific style and type, you can draw borders from the option Draw Borders provided right after the WordArt Styles. 

The shading option allows you to apply bevel, shadow, or reflection to your table, which will help you enhance its appearance. 

WordArt Styles 

You can choose to keep your tables subtle or make them look funky and creative with the help of the WordArt Styles section. You can choose from Quick Styles or fill colors with special effects like a shadow, reflection, or glow. 

We hope you find this tutorial useful and have fun creating and styling tables in your next presentation. Stay tuned for more guides.

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