How to fit a large excel table into word

Question

Hi There,

Firstly I have tried directly copying and pasting the table in the different paste options in Word - this has not helped.

I have a table with a lot of detailed information for my dissertation. I now need to include the entire table in my dissertation as an appendix. The table has 96 rows and 26 columns. The problems when I paste it include incorrect and messy text positioning, the width of the table going beyond the page and not all the data in one block showing up. I don't mind if I need to turn the page horizontally, as I suspect this will solve some of the problems but there are still issues with showing all the information neatly.

Answer 1

I found what works for me is to put the table on pages in landscape mode, but keeping the rest of the document in portrait:

• Open your Excel dataset.
• Select the data table.

Ctrl + C

• Open a Microsoft Word document.
• Ctrl+V

left click on the table icon (to the top left of the table)

layout, page set up- go to the little box with the diagonal downwards arrow

margins - orientation - landscape

apply to selected text - OK

then adjust the column widths manually

To resize the table, click in a table cell, go to the (Table) Layout tab, click AutoFit and then click AutoFit Window. This resizes the table so that it fits between the page margins.

Note that AutoFit may be less successful with a very large table, if Word has a problem with fitting it between the margins.

Answer 2

Hello Charné J,

I'm Segunfunmi, an Independent Advisor and Microsoft user like you. Thank you for posting your query in this forum.

When dealing with large Excel tables in Word, it can be tricky to include them neatly. But don't worry; I am here to guide you through some effective methods to help you get the job done easily. Let's take a step-by-step approach:

• Inserting a Pre-Made Table in Word:
  • Open your Excel file with the table.
  • Select the data table you want to insert.
  • Right-click on it and choose “Copy.”
  • Open a new Microsoft Word document.
  • Go to the Insert tab in the ribbon and select Table from the Tables group.
  • Choose Insert Table to create a table with your desired row and column numbers.
  • Adjust the table size according to your dataset.
  • Set the Fixed column width to Auto.
  • Click OK to create the table.
  • Select the entire table in Word.
  • Go to the Home tab and choose Paste from the Clipboard group.
  • Select Paste Special and choose Unformatted Unicode Text.
  • Your copied data will now appear in the pre-made table in Word, looking precisely like the Excel worksheet.
• Paste as Plain Text:
  • Open your Excel dataset.
  • Select the data table.
  • Right-click and choose Copy.
  • Open a Microsoft Word document.
  • Go to the Home tab and select Paste (or use Ctrl+V).
  • This method provides a static solution, meaning any changes in Excel won’t affect the Word table. You’ll need to update it manually if needed.
• Landscape Mode:
  • Consider using landscape mode if your table is comprehensive and doesn’t fit within the page width.
  • Insert two section breaks where you want to insert the spreadsheet in Word.
  • Between the section breaks, change the page layout to landscape.
• Text Box Rotation:
  • Place the insertion point where you want the table.
  • Click Insert and choose Text Box, then select Simple Text Box.
  • Copy the table from Excel and paste it into the text box.
  • Adjust the table size and rotate the text box handle to make it landscape.

Remember to choose the method that best suits your needs and formatting preferences. You got this! Good luck with your dissertation.

Kind regards, Segunfunmi.

Answer 3

I've tried all four of these suggestions.

All I get is either a blank table or the whole data jumbled up

Anyone have any other suggestions?

Last time I did this operation it was a simple Ctr C, then Ctr V, followed by a click on the corner of the table to adjust the size. 20 secs at the most.

Answer 4

I found what works for me is to put the table on pages in landscape mode, but keeping the rest of the document in portrait:

- Open your Excel dataset. 

- Select the data table. 

Ctrl + C

- Open a Microsoft Word document. 

- Ctrl+V

left click on the table icon (to the top left of the table)

layout, page set up- go to the little box with the diagonal downwards arrow

margins - orientation - landscape

apply to selected text - OK

then adjust the column widths manually