CorelDRAW: Tables

The tables facilitate the structured layout which enables us to present images and text in a drawing. We can draw any table, or we can create any table from the paragraph text. We can easily modify the table's look by changing the properties of the table.

This chapter includes the following essential topics:

Inserting tables
Moving, navigating, and selecting table elements
Deleting and inserting table columns and rows
Resizing table columns, rows, and cells
Formatting cells and tables
Working with various texts in the tables
Transforming tables into text
Adding backgrounds, images, and graphics into tables

Inserting tables

CorelDRAW allows us to insert the table into a drawing for creating the structured layout. We can draw the table, or we can create the table from the existing text.

To insert any table

1. Click on the Table tool.

2. Fill the values within the Rows and columns boxes over the property bar.

3. Diagonally drag to draw a table.

To create the table from any text

1. Press the Pick tool.

2. Choose the text that we wish to convert into a table.

3. Press Table > Convert text to a table.

4. Select any option from the list of options within the Create columns based on the following separator area:

Commas: It creates the column where any represents and the row where the paragraph marker represents.
Tabs: It creates the column where the tab represents and the row where the paragraph marker represents.
Paragraphs: It creates the column where the paragraph marker represents.
User-defined: It creates the column where the specified marker represents and the row where the paragraph marker represents.

Moving, navigating, and selecting table elements

We must choose the table, table cells, table rows, or table columns before we add columns or rows, modify the properties of table border, insert the color of background fill, or edit some other properties of the table.

To choose the table, column, row

1. Click on the Table tool, and press the table.

2. Implement anyone from the below tasks:

Click on Table > Select > Table to choose the table.

Click inside any row, and press Table > Select > Row to choose any row.

Click inside any column, and press Table > Select > column to choose any column.

To move the table column or row

1. Choose a table row that we wish to move.

2. Drag the column or row to another location within the table.

To modify the tab key's navigating direction

1. Click on the Tools > Options.

2. Within the Workspace, list of categories, i.e., Toolbox, and press Table tool.

3. Select the option, i.e., Move to the next cell.

4. Select from the below options in the list box, i.e., Tab order.

Right to left, top to bottom
Left to right, top to bottom

Deleting and inserting table columns and rows

We can delete and add the columns and rows in any table.

To add the table row

1. Choose any row within the table.

2. Implement from the below tasks:

Click on Table > Insert > Row above to add the row above any selected row.
Click on Table > Insert > Row below to add the row below any selected row.
Click on Table > Insert > Insert rows, fill the values inside the Number of rows box, and then select the option, i.e., Above the selection to add a various row above any selected row.
Click on Table > Insert > Insert rows, fill the values inside the Number of rows box, and then select the option, i.e., Below the selection to add a various row below any selected row.

To add the table column

1. Choose any column within the table.

2. Implement from the below tasks:

Click on Table > Insert > column left to add the column to any selected row's left.
Click on Table > Insert > column right to add the column to any selected row's right.
Click on Table > Insert > Insert columns, fill the values inside the Number of columns box, and then select the option, i.e., Left of the selection to add various columns to any selected row's left.
Click on Table > Insert > Insert columns, fill the values inside the Number of columns box, and then select the option, i.e., Right of the selection to add various columns to any selected row's right.

To delete the table row or column

1. Choose the column or row that we wish to delete.

2. Implement from the below tasks:

Click on Table > Delete > Row to delete any row.
Click on Table > Delete > Column to delete any column.

Resizing table columns, rows, and cells

We can resize the columns, rows, and cells. Besides, when we previously changed some columns and row's sizes, we can redistribute each column and each row hence they will be of the same size.

To resize the table column, rows, and cells

1. Click on the Table tool, press the Table.

2. Choose the column, row, or cell that we wish to resize.

3. Type the values inside the Table width and height boxes over the property bar.

To distribute the table columns and rows

1. Choose any table cell that we wish to distribute.

2. Implement from the below tasks:

Click on Table > Distribute > Rows evenly to make each selected row's height the same.
Click on Table > Distribute > Column evenly to make each selected column's height the same.

Formatting cells and tables

We can modify the table's look by changing both cell and table borders. For example, we can modify the color or width of the table border.

To change cell borders and table borders

1. Choose the tables or table area that we wish to change.

2. Click on the Border selection button over the property bar, and select any border that we wish to change.

3. Implement from the below tasks:

Select the width of the border through the Outline width list box over the property bar to change the thickness of the border.

Click on the Outline color picker over the property bar, and press any color over the color palette to change the color of the border.

Select the style of a line through the Line style picker, and fill the value inside the Outline width box within the Object properties docker's Outline area to change the line style of the border or outline width.

Working with various texts in the tables

We can insert text into tables easily, and change the text. We can modify the font, add indents, or add bullets into table text. We can modify the text properties of various table cells or only one table cell simultaneously. Besides, we can also insert tab stops into a table cell hence that text will be shifted away through the cell margin.

If we type any text inside the new table, we can select to adjust the table cell's size automatically.

To insert text inside the table cell

1. Click on the Table tool.

2. Click on any cell.

3. After that type text within the cell.

To modify the text properties inside the table cells

Select the Table tool, press any table.
Keep pressing Ctrl, and Click on any table cell that includes the text which is to be formatted.
Click on the Text > Text properties, and describe any settings we wish inside the Text properties docker.

Transforming tables into text

We can transform any table text into paragraph text when we no longer wish to appear any table text inside the table.

To transform the table into text

1. Select the Table tool, press any table.

2. Click on the Table > Convert table to text.

3. Select from the below options within the Separate cell text with area:

Commas: It replaces all the columns with the comma and also replaces all the rows with the paragraph marker.
Paragraphs: It replaces all the columns with the paragraph marker.
Tabs: It replaces all the columns with the tab and also replaces all the rows with the paragraph marker.
User-defined: It replaces all the columns with the specified character and also replaces all the rows with the paragraph marker.

Note: If we select the option, i.e., User-defined, we must fill the character inside the User-defined box.

Adding backgrounds, images, and graphics into tables

When we wish to arrange vector graphics, images, or bitmap within the structured layout, we can insert them into tables. Also, we can modify the table's look by inserting any background color.