Tables: Free InDesign Tutorial

Topics Covered in This InDesign Tutorial:

Master the art of importing Excel data into professional layouts by learning to place Excel tables with their original formatting preserved, create repeating table headers that appear on every page, apply sophisticated formatting including fills and strokes, and reorganize table content with precision drag-and-drop techniques.

Exercise Preview

Exercise Overview

In today's data-driven design environment, the ability to seamlessly integrate spreadsheet data into professional layouts is essential. In this hands-on exercise, you'll master the complete workflow of importing Excel data and transforming it into a polished, publication-ready table using InDesign's comprehensive table formatting tools. You'll learn industry best practices for maintaining data integrity while achieving visual excellence.

Creating the Table

1. Begin by opening Table.indd in InDesign.

2. Navigate to File > Place to access the import dialog and configure the following settings:
   • At the bottom of the dialog window, ensure Show Import Options is checked (Mac users may need to click the Options button to reveal these settings).
   • Locate and select the Excel file named Table-company-directory.xls.
   • Click Open to proceed to the import options.

3. The Microsoft Excel Import Options dialog will appear, allowing you to control how your data is interpreted. Configure the settings as shown in the image below, ensuring that the Formatting option is set to Formatted Table to preserve the original Excel styling. Click OK to continue.

   

   NOTE: If InDesign displays missing font warnings, simply click Close. We'll be applying custom typography in the next section.

4. Your cursor will now display a loaded text icon, indicating the table data is ready to place. Position the cursor over your primary text frame and click once to flow the content. Notice how InDesign intelligently fills the text frame with the tabular data and automatically generates additional pages to accommodate overflow content—a powerful feature for handling large datasets.

Formatting the Table & Defining Table Headers

Now that your data is placed, we'll transform it into a professional table with consistent headers and refined typography. This process ensures your table maintains readability and visual hierarchy across multiple pages.

1. Examine the table on page 1, noting the column headers: First Name, Last Name, and other data categories at the top row.

2. Navigate to page 2 and observe that these crucial headers are absent. For professional multi-page tables, headers must repeat on every page to maintain usability and readability.

3. Before establishing headers, let's optimize the typography. Ensure you're using the Type tool .

4. Click anywhere within the table, then navigate to Table > Select > Table to select the entire table structure.

5. In the Control panel, update the typography to 8 pt Myriad Pro Regular for optimal readability in table format.

6. With the table selected, you'll notice the tight spacing between data elements. Let's add professional spacing:
   • Open the Tables panel by going to Window > Type & Tables > Table. (On larger displays, these controls may be visible in the Control panel.)
   • Configure the cell inset values as shown below. Click the link icon to maintain proportional spacing, then enter the values once:

   

7. Return to page 1 to establish the repeating header functionality.

8. Using the Type tool , click anywhere in the first row containing your column headers (First Name, Last Name, etc.).

9. Execute Table > Convert Rows > To Header to establish this row as a repeating header.

10. Immediately check page 2 to verify that the header now appears automatically—this is one of InDesign's most powerful table features for professional document production.

11. To optimize the table's layout within your design margins, position your cursor over the table's right border. When the cursor transforms into a double arrow , hold Shift and drag until the border aligns with your right margin guide.

    Professional tip: Holding Shift during this operation resizes all columns proportionally, maintaining visual balance.

12. Fine-tune individual column widths as needed. To adjust specific columns without affecting overall table width, hold Shift while dragging individual column borders.

13. Navigate between pages to confirm that your adjustments are applied consistently throughout the entire table structure.

14. To establish visual hierarchy, select the header row by dragging across all header cells on the first page.

    Professional tip: If selection proves difficult, place your cursor anywhere in the table and choose Table > Select > Header Rows for precise selection.

15. In the Control panel, enhance the header typography to 10 pt Myriad Pro Bold to create clear visual distinction.

16. Verify your changes on page 2—the header formatting should be automatically applied, demonstrating InDesign's intelligent table management.

More Table Formatting

Professional tables benefit from subtle visual enhancements that improve readability without compromising content clarity. We'll now apply alternating row fills—a design technique that guides the reader's eye across complex data.

1. Return to page 1 and click anywhere within the table to activate the table formatting options.

2. Navigate to Table > Table Options > Alternating Fills and configure the following professional settings:
   • Under Alternating Pattern, select Every Other Row for optimal readability.
   • Enable Preview in the bottom-left corner to evaluate changes in real-time.
   • Experiment with Color and Tint values, keeping in mind that subtle contrast (typically 5-15% tint) maintains professionalism while enhancing usability.
   • Click OK when satisfied with your selection.

Reordering Table Cells

Even the most carefully prepared data sometimes requires reorganization within the design environment. InDesign's drag-and-drop functionality allows for precise content reordering without returning to the source spreadsheet.

1. Upon reviewing the data, you'll notice that the phone numbers aren't in proper ascending order. Specifically, Janet Baduche's phone number should appear after Joe Millionaire's for correct numerical sequence.

2. InDesign's intuitive drag-and-drop interface makes reordering straightforward. To select Joe Millionaire's complete row, hover over the left edge of his name cell until a black selection arrow appears, then click.

   Professional tip: A downward-pointing arrow appears when hovering over column tops, providing the fastest method for column selection.

3. Position your cursor anywhere within the selected row (avoiding borders) until it transforms into the drag cursor . Click and hold—maintaining pressure throughout the following steps.

4. While holding the mouse button, drag upward until a thick blue insertion line appears between the header row and Janet Baduche's row, as illustrated below:

   

   Release the mouse button to complete the reordering.

5. Execute Edit > Deselect All to clearly evaluate your organizational improvements.

6. To view your completed work in its final presentation format, locate the Normal button at the bottom of the Tools panel. Click and hold, then select Preview from the contextual menu to see your table without guides and interface elements—exactly as it will appear in final output.