Six steps to create a table

Choose Table → Insert ? Table

Enter the number of columns & rows and the desired column width

Optionally, choose AutoFormat to select a table formatting with borders, shading & colors

Choose Format ? Borders & Shading or Table ? Properties ? Borders and Shading (Word 2002/2003).

Make sure you're seeing the Borders tab of the dialog box

Under Setting choose None and under Apply To make sure it indicates Table

Click OK

If you can't see the table's light gray gridlines (which do not print), choose Table ? Show Gridlines

Type a cell's content then press TAB to move to the next cell (or SHIFT+TAB to move to the previous cell). You can also use arrow keys or the mouse to navigate between the table's cells.

If you need an additional row, at the end of the last cell press TAB

Format each cell just as you would if it were not part of a table (Font, Paragraph, and Bullets & Numbering commands)Use the Paragraph command to add space before or after paragraphs, which will create space within the table.

Click in the table.  Do not drag or select text—just click.

Point to a column border marker in the ruler.  Your mouse pointer will turn into a double-headed arrow.

Drag the border to change the column's width.  The column to the left of the border will get larger or smaller according to how you drag the column border. The size of the entire table will therefore adjust as well to reflect the larger or smaller size of the column.

Click in the table.  Do not drag or select text—just click.

Choose Table ? Cell Height and Width (Word 2000) or Table ? Properties (Word 2002/2003).

On the Row tab (Word 2000) or Table tab (Word 2002/2003), choose the desired alignment.You will only notice the effect of this command when the table is smaller than the margins.  If the table is as wide as the page, its alignment is not apparent.

Select cell(s), row(s) or column(s) or the table (Table ? Select Table)

Choose Format ? Borders & Shading or Table ? Properties ? Borders and Shading (Word 2002/2003).

Use the Borders and Shading dialog box to apply borders or shading to the entire table or to selected cells.