Tables permit rapid access to, and relatively easy comparison of, information. Tables can compare data offered through numbers or text. For example, if you’re offering data about what different laser printers cost, you could either focus on numerical costs of purchase and maintenance, or you could use text that compares the printers in terms of cost, print speed, warranties, etc.

Tables arrange information in a row and column format. Each table should have a label above the table that contains a number and a title. Labels should be centered and follow the format “Table 1. [A brief descriptive title].” Tables do not need to follow specific color or formatting standards, but they should be easy to read and uniform throughout the document.

Table Format

Tables arrange information in a row and column format. You may research information to create a new table, or you may find information already in table format. Normally, if it’s a simple table without too many rows and columns, retype it yourself into your own document (and remember to cite your source). If you find a big table with lots of data, you can scan or screen capture it to include in your document. However, if the table does not conform to formatting conventions, you need to reproduce its contents using those conventions.

Table Format Conventions

• Each table should have a label above the table that contains a number and a title. Labels should be centered and follow the format “Table 1. [A brief descriptive title].”
• Put a column heading at the top of each column, to define its contents and/or indicate the unit of measurement.
• Put row headings at the left edge of the table.
• Don’t overwhelm readers with very large tables. Pare the data down to just the amount that illustrate your point, without distorting that data.
• Don’t put the word or abbreviation for the unit of measurement in every cell of a column. For example, in a column of measurements all in millimeters, don’t put “mm” after every number. Put the abbreviation in parentheses in the column or row heading.
• Right-justify numbers in the columns. If you have decimals, justify the numbers so that the decimals align.
• Left-justify words in the columns.
• Center the column headings.
• When there is some special point you need to make about one or more of the items in the table, use a footnote instead of clogging up the table with that information.
• Tables do not need to follow specific color or formatting standards, but they should be easy to read and uniform throughout the document.

Note that things get tricky when rows or columns must be grouped or subdivided. In such cases, you have to create row or column subheadings, as in the example below.

Make sure to review technical documents in draft to see if there’s text information that could be more clearly presented in table form, as in the example below.