How to Center Tables in Mac Pages?

[Samurai Shampoo]

I am trying to find out how I center a table in Mac Pages.

When I click "arrange" and the select "Stay On Page" then I can center but the problem is that it does not move with the text when I add more text above it.

When I select "Move With Text" then I can't center it anymore.

What can I do to center the table AND make it move with text?

 

[Slartibart]

place the cursor directly before or select the inserted table. open Pages’ Inspector, it will open with the Text properties. Click the “centered text”-icon.

 

[Samurai Shampoo]

place the cursor directly before or select the inserted table. open Pages’ Inspector, it will open with the Text properties. Click the “centered text”-icon.

I want to center the table, not the text though.

 

[Slartibart]

Mmh, you choose to anchor it to the page, so when you change the text above the table depending on the text flow adjustment, the text will flow around the anchored object. The table stays, because it’s anchored to the page. What do you expect to happen?
If you want to move the table with the text, center it and define the desired text flow via the inspector. do not anchor it to the page. 🤷‍♀️

 

[headlessmike]

I want to center the table, not the text though.

Let it move with the text. Then when you are done you change to Stay on Page and center it. There might be another way to do it, but I don't use tables enough in Pages to know of a better option.

 

[chabig]

Let's clarify...do you want to center it laterally, vertically, or both? Lateral looks easy using Arrange > Align. I don't see any way to automatically center it vertically.

 

[headlessmike]

Let's clarify...do you want to center it laterally, vertically, or both? Lateral looks easy using Arrange > Align. I don't see any way to automatically center it vertically.

The problem that the OP points out is that the Arrange -> Align setting only works if the table is fixed to a specific page. If it follows the text then it will share the same alignment as the text (which is usually aligned with the left edge of the page).

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

I believe the target is as shown below (minus the rows & column headers showing)...

Note settings in the Arrange tab (which are default): Move with Text, Inline with Text. This will make the table move up and down as text is added above & below. If enough text is added above, it will roll onto the next page. If enough text above the table is removed, it will be pulled back to a prior page... ALL just like a centered line of text in the same spot.

Now, to center it, you treat it like you want to center a line of text. Click cursor in the blank line ABOVE the table (above the top horizontal line of the table), hold and drag into the blank line BELOW the table (below the bottom line of the table) to "select" the whole table (as if you are selecting a blank line of text, then a line of text, then a blank line of text). For me, this draws a violet line around the table to show it is selected...

Then click the Text (pane) "Center" icon...

All this presumes OP is working with a standard/default Pages Word Processing document. If OP is working in Page Layout mode, the approach can be different.

 

[Pakaku]

Now, to center it, you treat it like you want to center a line of text. Click cursor in the blank line ABOVE the table (above the top horizontal line of the table), hold and drag into the blank line BELOW the table (below the bottom line of the table) to "select" the whole table (as if you are selecting a blank line of text, then a line of text, then a blank line of text). For me, this draws a violet line around the table to show it is selected...

You don't even have to enter new lines or drag top-to-bottom, you can just click to the left of the table and then set the text of that line to center as described.

 

[Samurai Shampoo]

I believe the target is as shown below (minus the rows & column headers showing)...

View attachment 2330484

Note settings in the Arrange tab (which are default): Move with Text, Inline with Text. This will make the table move up and down as text is added above & below. If enough text is added above, it will roll onto the next page. If enough text above the table is removed, it will be pulled back to a prior page... ALL just like a centered line of text in the same spot.

Now, to center it, you treat it like you want to center a line of text. Click cursor in the blank line ABOVE the table (above the top horizontal line of the table), hold and drag into the blank line BELOW the table (below the bottom line of the table) to "select" the whole table (as if you are selecting a blank line of text, then a line of text, then a blank line of text). For me, this draws a violet line around the table to show it is selected...

View attachment 2330490​

Then click the Text (pane) "Center" icon...

View attachment 2330485​

All this presumes OP is working with a standard/default Pages Word Processing document. If OP is working in Page Layout mode, the approach can be different.

Thank you very much! That worked. Appreciate the detailed guide. Really helpful.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Glad I could help. Pages is quite capable for a word processor and simple DTP in “Page Layout” mode. But sometimes figuring out how to do something that seems (like it should be) easy can be tricky. Nevertheless, about anything can be done with it. I think of it as one of those things that is towards best kept secret or hidden gem on Mac.