Use the Editor
Create and Edit Tables
Displaying content in tables allows you to present complex information in a clear and accessible way. Information structured in a table is shown to enhance understanding and retention.
Pressbooks allows you to create and display information in tabular form, and to choose table styles that display your information in an attractive way in your webbook, ebook, and PDF exports.
Create a Table
- In the visual editor, click > Table.
- Select the number of columns and rows via the grid.
✔️ A table is inserted in the visual editor.
Add or Remove Rows and Columns
Once you’ve inserted a table in your book, you can use the Table tool to edit cell, row and column properties; merge and split cells; add and remove rows and columns; and cut, copy, and paste rows.
To add a row:
- Click into the row before or after which you want to add a row.
- Click > Row.
- Click Insert row before or Insert row after.
To add a column:
- Click into the column before or after which you want to add a row.
- Click > Column.
- Click Insert column before or Insert column after.
To remove a row:
- Click into the row you want to remove.
- Click > Row.
- Click Delete row.
To remove a column:
- Click into the column you want to remove.
- Click > Column.
- Click Delete column.
Change the Table’s Appearance
You can change a table’s appearance by editing the table’s properties. You can apply one of several predefined styles (classes) to your table, adjust its width and height, adjust the cell padding and cell spacing, increase or decrease border weights, and add table captions.
Define a Header Row
Defining a header row for your table will make that row distinct from other rows. Should the table take up more than one page in a PDF, the header row will be repeated on the second page.
To designate a row as the table header:
- Click into the row you want to be the header.
- Click > Row > Table row properties.
- In the Row type dropdown, click Header.
- Click OK.
Apply Preset Styles
There are a number of classes (preset styles) available to assign to a table:
- Standard
- No lines
- Lines
- Shaded
- Full Grid
- Standard Lanscape*
- No lines Landscape*
- Lines Landscape*
- Shaded Landscape*
- Full Grid Landscape*
Note: Landscape table lasses (denoted with an asterisk *) will only appear landscape in PDF format. They will display in portrait format in the ebook and webbook versions of your book.
| Apple | Banana |
| Carrot | Date |
| Apple | Banana |
| Carrot | Date |
| Apple | Banana |
| Carrot | Date |
| Apple | Banana |
| Carrot | Date |
| Apple | Banana |
| Carrot | Date |
To apply a preset style to your table:
- Click into the table you want format.
- Click > Table properties.
- In the Class dropdown, select the class of your choice.
- Click OK.
Adjust Table Width and Height
The width of your table can be set as a percentage or pixel value. Tables with percentage widths will be responsive to the size of their container, while tables with pixel widths wil