Problem: You import a series of data tables into FrameMaker and they are a big mess, extending off the right side of the paper’s edge. Can we make quick work of the cleanup? Sure!
Solution: Use the Resize Columns dialog box wisely.
- Begin by selecting all of the table’s cells, even those you can’t see, with Edit > Select All of Table
- Apply the CellBody paragraph format (press F9, then tap the letter "c" until the CellBody format appears in the lower left corner of the status bar, then press Enter)
- Select the body cells of the first column, which is usually the widest column in a data table
- Resize to the width of the selected cell’s content
- Select all of the remaining body cells in the table
- Resize the columns to equal widths by choosing Table > Resize Columns and selecting To Equal Widths Totaling
- With the remaining body rows selected, just use the sizing handle to distribute the rows all the way across to the right margin
Voila!
About the author: Barbara Binder is the president and founder of Rocky Mountain Training. Barbara has been a trainer for nearly two decades and was recently recognized by Adobe as one of the top trainers world-wide for 2007. Barb will be your trainer for next month’s Adobe FrameMaker 8 virtual class.