How to create numbers and titles for tables

Tables are visual displays of data arranged in rows and columns. Table cells contain numbers, text, or a combination of numbers and text. Some cells can include images, symbols, links, and other objects. See how to create and modify tables in Word.

How to insert automatic numbers, captions, and cutlines for photos in Word

Unlike most images, pictures, and charts captions, photo captions (also often called cutlines) have multiple lines of text. Many publications share the title of the photo (caption) and a more detailed description (cutline). The terms Captions and Cutlines are often used interchangeably, particularly in magazines.

How to create automatic numbers and captions for figures: images, pictures, and other illustrations

Microsoft Word offers functionality to create automatically updated numbers for figures, tables, and equations. You can define descriptions (captions) for figures in your document and reference them from the document content using the Captions feature. The numbering and links can be automatically updated on adding, moving, or deleting a figure.

Adding captions with AutoCaption

Many documents contain references to headings, tables, images, equations, etc. It is better to create references to the titles or numbers of these items in the document because you don't need to remember and update them after each change. Let Word makes this routine less painful.

How to create captions for equations

When you add formulas to your document, it may need to to add captions - right-justified automatic numbering on the same line as equation. It is easy to add captions for the equation:

How to create Table of Figures and List of Tables

Some requirements demand listing figures, tables, and other visual objects at the end of a document. They are named List of Figures and List of Tables. Microsoft Word offers the functionality named Table of Figures that helps generate and update a list of the captions for pictures, charts, graphs, diagrams, slides, photos, or other illustrations of the document, along with the numbers of the pages on which the captions appear.

Table of Figures and Table of Contents switches

Word inserts a Table of Contents and Table of Figures as a TOC field (see how to work with fields in Word). The TOC field collects entries for an appropriate Table using Heading styles, other specified styles, captions, or Table of Contents Entries.

How to use a cross-reference in Word

A cross-reference in Word can refer to related information elsewhere in the same document (to refer to other documents, sources, etc., see how to use hyperlinks in Word). Cross-referencing helps the reader navigate a lengthy document and aids the author or reviewers to update the document structure by automating tracking changes in headings, picture or table numbers.

Use a Table of Content Entries

Some headings or titles (such as table titles or figure captions) in the document are too long or have a format, making it difficult to include them in a Table of Contents, Table of Figures, or similar lists. Word offers functionality Table of Contents Entry that keeps text readable in a Table of Contents, Table of Figures, etc.

How to format captions

The publishing requirements often demand different styles for different types of visual objects like figures, tables, etc. Word has a pre-defined style Caption and applies it to all captions in the document. So, you might need to modify or create additional styles for captions.