MS Word 365 tables : Create / Copy-Paste shaded empty horizontal spacer rows

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I am trying to adapt a Microsoft Word 365 built-in template, "Home Inspection Checklist", for my own needs. The first page of this template contains what I would describe as multiple Word tables with their own layouts, merged into a single complex table. The sub-tables are separated by thin, single-cell, shaded, blank horizontal spacer rows.

I'm having trouble creating and copy-pasting these shaded horizontal spacer rows. I can't even determine what the official name is for these graphical elements (the spacer rows)?

I have successfully duplicated table-content rows and modified cell formatting to taste. I would now like to insert new blank, horizontal spacer rows, mimicking the style of the "Home Inspection Checklist". Without those spacer rows, there is inadequate separation of section content.

Any assistance appreciated, please.

Brad Stiritz

Posted 2016-11-30T23:05:10.937

Reputation: 53

Answers

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If it's the document shown below, the spacer isn't a row; it's just a regular text paragraph between adjacent sub-tables. The paragraph style is called Spacer. Check out the list of Styles for the document to see the full set of properties.

Spacer paragraph style in Home Inspection Checklist

cnread

Posted 2016-11-30T23:05:10.937

Reputation: 1 941

Hi cnread, thank you for your reply and illustrated comments. You have definitely put me on the right track to a solution. Yes, your image shows the template that I'm working from. – Brad Stiritz – 2016-12-01T03:12:06.197

..however, I'm not able to reproduce the style options in the right column, as you have shown.

I did change File/Options/Advanced/Display/Style area pane width to 1", per Google results. When I now go to Outline view, and select one of the shaded spacers, the Style pane is on the left side of the document for me. I do not see any Style options listed, as in your illustration.

My ultimate goal is to be able to click into a table cell, and "Insert Spacer Below". Do you know if this is possible, please? – Brad Stiritz – 2016-12-01T03:22:09.963

What you see in my screen capture isn't the Style area pane that appears in Outline and Draft views; it's the Style pane that opens when you click the arrow in the lower-right corner of the Styles group on the Home tab. And as I noted, the spacer in this template isn't a separate table row; it's just a text paragraph, inserted between subtables in the table main, that has a style named Spacer applied. So you insert it just as you'd insert any paragraph. (Or, if you want a button that will do it for you, you could record a macro of inserting a paragraph break and applying the Spacer stye.) – cnread – 2016-12-01T04:24:20.300

Thanks for your follow-up. I'm going to give you answer credit, but for the record, here's how I achieved the stated goal:

  1. Open Home/Styles pane at right, as you explained
  2. Insert new table row where the Spacer is desired
  3. Click on "Spacer" style in the Style pane. This changes the new row into a thin Spacer, like in the illustration above.
    4. < – Brad Stiritz – 2016-12-01T04:56:51.353

Yes, that's how I would have done it myself (though not how it was done in the original template). Frankly, I don't understand why that template was made as complicated as it was. – cnread – 2016-12-01T05:14:20.787

Asked: 2016-11-30T23:05:10.937

Viewed: 87 times

Active: 2016-12-01T01:03:37.487