2.7 Table Styles

Making Ebooks with InDesign: Module 2, Step 7

  • Subject(s):

    InDesign to EPUB

  • Resource Type(s):

    Step-by-Step

  • Audience:

    Technical

Suggested Prerequisite

Before reading this, you might want to read:

Table Styles

There are ways to nudge InDesign to do a better job with table HTML than it would by default. And it all boils down to using styles well. Table and cell styles work well and are a generally underused feature. 

When creating a table, be sure to designate the header row as a header row. This will code the table correctly ensuring that assistive technology reads the table accurately. In this screenshot the header row is selected and labelled as a header row by going to Table —> Convert Rows —> To Header

With the header row selected, the table drop-down menu is activated. Convert Rows > to Header is activated and highlighted in blue.

Using cell styles is similarly straightforward. In this example, one of the header rows is highlighted and the header cell style is selected. A second style is used for the body of this table. 

One cell of the header row is selected and highlights in green. The cell styles palette is opened and the “header” style selected.

In the table styles, there are a load of controls around which cell and and headers styles are used. 

The Table Style Options suite of choices is opened.

When this content is converted to EPUB, the HTML will still need some cleanup. But following these steps will help. 

Next Steps

1

Module 3, Step 1

3.1 Exporting an Ebook

Making Ebooks with InDesign: Module 3, Step 1

Subject(s): InDesign to EPUB
Resource Type(s): Step-by-Step
Audience:
Technical
2

Module 3, Step 2

3.2 InDesign EPUB Export Options

Making Ebooks with InDesign: Module 3, Step 2

Subject(s): InDesign to EPUB
Resource Type(s): Step-by-Step
Audience:
Technical
3

Module 3, Step 3

3.3 HTML & CSS

Making Ebooks with InDesign: Module 3, Step 3

Subject(s): InDesign to EPUB
Resource Type(s): Step-by-Step
Audience:
Technical
4

Module 4, Step 1

4.1 Post-export Work

Making Ebooks with InDesign: Module 4, Step 1

Subject(s): InDesign to EPUB
Resource Type(s): Step-by-Step
Audience:
Technical
5

Module 4, Step 2

4.2 EPUB Tour

Making Ebooks with InDesign: Module 4, Step 2

Subject(s): InDesign to EPUB
Resource Type(s): Step-by-Step
Audience:
Technical
6

Module 4, Step 3

4.3 What InDesign Doesn’t Do Well

Making Ebooks with InDesign: Module 4, Step 3

Subject(s): InDesign to EPUB
Resource Type(s): Step-by-Step
Audience:
Technical

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