Align table in Numbers

M,

You could try doing your work inside a rectangular shape that has a fixed center for the tables to align to.

Jerry

Add a rectangle then set the size based on the paper you are using

to find this out select the menu item "File > Print", then observe the "Print setup" information on the right. Click "Done" to exit:

In this case the paper size is 8.5 x 11 with top/bottom margin of 1 in and left/right margins of 0.5 in so I made a rectangle that is 7.4 in wide and 8.9 in tall. Then I aligned the rectangle with the top-left corner of the page. Then place a table on top of the rectangle and drag the table around until you see the center alignment guide:

What didn't work?

Hi M.Attila,

Wayne suggested you create a rectangle that is 7.4 in wide and 8.9 in tall and use this to align a single table- the guide lines will show up in your normal view as you move your table around.

But you have 2 tables. You need two rectangles each half the width that Wayne suggests and touching along their inner edges. When table 1 is aligned with your lefthand table your yellow guide should appear. Same with table 2.

quinn

Hi M.Attila,

I suspect you are misunderstanding Wayne's proposal. When I look at your screenshot of your tables I do not see a rectangular shape. The guide lines show up in the regular view, not the print view. It matters what width the rectangle is because the center of your page is what you are trying to find. The center of a 2 inch rectangle will not be at the center of your print area.

He is suggesting that you create a rectangular shape ( using the toolbar perhaps) and giving it a width of 7.4 inches for a 8.5 in width with a .5 in margin, then aligning it with the left border of your canvas. You should see a guide when you are there.

Another approach would be to drag a guide from the left hand ruler to where you want the center of each table to be. This will require math. With .5 inch margins we have 7.5 divided by 4 equals 1.875 for the first guide- lets call it 1.87. 1.875 + 3.25 = 5.125 lets call it 5.12. As you drag your guides out from the ruler you will notice that it tells you where your guide is; stop when you get to where your want it.

Instead of tables I am aligning shapes.

I think Wayne's approach is easier.

quinn

Hi Attila,

In Numbers, all your tables are on a canvas. This canvas can be as large as you want it to be. In Numbers 3 there is currently a bug that makes it difficult to have a canvas that is wider than 56 inches. It hasn't been a problem for me! So, when you look at your table and drag it around on your canvas there is not center to your canvas, no place for that center line to be. There is a left hand border and so when you make a shape the size of your print area and drag it left to that border you can find the center of that print area.

Numbers 3 is not so good at finer points of printing. Many people use 2.3 because of its better capabilities. Maybe it enough people give Apple feedback about printing using Menu>Numbers>Provide Numbers Feedback Apple will improve this.

quinn