Rotating a table in Microsoft Word can be done using a few straightforward steps. In essence, you’ll be converting your table into an image, rotating it, and then converting it back to a table. This easy-to-follow guide will help you achieve that in under a minute.
The following steps will guide you through the process of rotating a table in Word. Essentially, you’ll be converting the table into an image format, rotating it, and then placing it back into your document.
To begin, select the table by clicking the small icon that appears at the top-left corner of your table.
Make sure you select the entire table to avoid leaving out any parts. When you click on the icon, the whole table should be highlighted.
Next, copy the selected table by pressing "Ctrl + C" on your keyboard or right-clicking and choosing "Copy."
This action places a copy of the table on your clipboard, making it ready to be pasted as an image.
Click where you want the table’s rotated version to be and paste it as a picture by right-clicking and selecting "Paste Special," then choose "Picture (Enhanced Metafile)."
Pasting the table as a picture allows you to manipulate it like any other image, including rotating it.
With the image selected, go to the "Format" tab and use the "Rotate" button to rotate the table to the desired angle.
You can rotate the image clockwise, counter-clockwise, or even flip it vertically or horizontally using this tool.
Finally, right-click the rotated image and choose "Copy." Then, delete the image and paste it back as a table using "Paste Special" and selecting "Formatted Text (RTF)."
This returns your rotated table to its original form but now oriented as per your requirement.
After completing these steps, your table will be rotated and look exactly the way you want in your document.
No, Microsoft Word doesn’t directly support rotating tables, which is why converting it to an image is necessary.
Yes, it works in most versions, but the menu options might slightly differ.
The content remains the same, but some formatting might need to be re-applied.
You can only rotate the table in 90-degree increments directly; for other angles, you may need additional image editing.
If "Paste Special" isn’t available, you might need to update your version of Word or check your settings.
Rotating a table in Word might seem tricky at first, but with this simple method, it’s quite manageable. Remember, you’re technically converting the table into an image to rotate it and then converting it back. This guide should help you navigate through the steps easily.
For further reading, explore more features of Word to enhance your document-editing skills. If you found this guide useful, share it with others who might benefit. Happy editing!
Kermit Matthews is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with more than a decade of experience writing technology guides. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has spent much of his professional career in IT management.
He specializes in writing content about iPhones, Android devices, Microsoft Office, and many other popular applications and devices.