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I tried something similar to what Sonia did. I created a table in Word (97)
and then inserted it as an object into PageMaker (6.0). It looks great, but
this may not be the best way to go about it because I still have to do all
my table edits in Word and then reinsert the table.
The final straw that got me convinced to move from PageMaker to FrameMaker
was this whole table issue. Adobe Table is just not a useful tool.
John, I'm un-lurking long enough to send this response:
I wrestled with this problem a while back and found a work-around
solution that came out well, even though it was a tad time-consuming. (I
was using PM5 and Word 6). I was creating a table without boxes: if
necessary, you could add boxes and rules later in PM5. I could never get
the Adobe table function to do what I wanted. Caveat: If your table is
large, be
sure you have enough memory available to use the clipboard freely.
I went the simple-is-best route: Create the complete Word table first.
Keep a backup copy. Select column 1 from the Word table, then Cut (or
Copy) and Paste to a pre-sized text box in your PM5 doc. Repeat for each
column. As you paste, use a PM guide line to make sure the text boxes
line up properly. I also set the leading instead of using auto-leading,
because I sometimes have an element in the text in a different font
(such as 11 pt. Univ. Cond for a keystroke, with basic text in 10-pt
Garamond.) Setting the leading at the same level for each column ensures
that the text will line up correctly across the page. Once this was
done, it looked great. The underlying construction was a bit clunky, but
that couldn't be helped.
Once all the text is in PM5 you can use the PS GroupIt addition to move
the table as a complete unit, if necessary. Hope this helps!
(If you're doing this with Word 97 and PM 6.5, you're on your own...
Best of
British luck, as they say.)
- Sonia Bayne
bayneso -at- amsworld -dot- com
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