If a table can fit on a single page, do not allow it to break across pages – move it to the next page to keep it whole.
For a large or complex table that breaks across pages, try restructuring the table by transposing the rows and columns or breaking the table into multiple smaller tables (see examples below). Alternatively, or for larger datasets, it may be necessary to:
- insert a landscape-oriented page, placing the table (with table name and any notes) on this page and continuing the text flow on the next portrait page
- rotate the table (with table name and any notes) by 90° (anticlockwise) so that it sits sideways on a portrait page
- span the table across a 2-page spread – it may be necessary to repeat the stub on the second page or add line numbers to both the left and right ends of each row to ensure that readers can follow the data across the page break or gutter
- insert a larger page.
Inserting a landscape-oriented page in a portrait-oriented document
Rotating a table on the page
Spanning a table across a 2-page spread
If your dataset is so large that it requires any of these options, consider how this will affect the reading flow, pagination and print production of the document. For example, readers may display an online PDF in single-page view, which would make a spanned table difficult to view and comprehend; inserting a larger page that needs folding is likely to increase the cost of print production. Consider placing a large table at the end of the document as an appendix, or even providing tables as a separate document. Also consider whether the data could be presented as a graph or other figure type, with a reference to the table or data source.
