Master the Art of Centering Cells in Word: 6 Quick and Convenient Ways

Microsoft Word is an application that many office users use on a daily basis. However, not everyone is proficient in editing operations in Word, including the commonly used operation of centering a cell in Word. Today, FPT Shop will share with you various options to center a cell in Word, which are extremely simple and convenient.

Why center a cell in Word?

By default, Word’s default formatting aligns text to the left of the page. However, you can move some or all of the text to center a cell in Word for a variety of reasons, including:

• To create a title page.
• To create headings and subheadings.
• To write poetry with specific shapes.
• To emphasize quotes or testimonials.
• To create image effects in tables or charts.

How many ways to center a cell in Word?

Centering a cell in Word is one of the most commonly used features in Word. The default centering feature in Word comes with three available options:  

• Align Top Center: Centers the cell in Word at the top.
• Align Center: Centers the cell in Word in the center of the cell.
• Align Bottom Center: Centers the cell in Word at the bottom.

6 ways to center a cell in Word

Centering a cell in Word is one of the ways to display the text in a specific and consistent format across the entire document content, especially in Word tables. This will help your document display in a more organized and professional way. Below is a detailed guide on how to center a cell in Word that you can refer to.

1. Center a cell in Word using the Layout tab

One of the commonly used solutions to center a cell in Word is through the Layout tab. This operation is performed with just a few simple mouse clicks.

Step 1: Open a Word file with a table and text to center in a Word cell.

Step 2: Highlight the cells containing the text to center in a Word cell. Then, in the ribbon toolbar, click on the Layout tab.

Step 3: Find the Alignment feature group, then click on the middle icon with three horizontal bars, Align Center. The selected text within the table will be centered in a Word cell immediately.

• Select Align Top Center to center at the top. 
• Select Align Bottom Center to center at the bottom.

2. Center a cell in Word using the Home tab

In addition to the above method, the ribbon toolbar also provides another solution to center a cell in Word, which is through the Home tab with the Paragraph feature group. In this feature group, there are many options available to center a cell in Word, depending on your needs. Follow the steps below to center a cell in Word. 

Step 1: Open a Word document with the table and text to center in a Word cell on your computer.

Step 2: Highlight the cells containing the text to center in a Word cell. Then, in the ribbon toolbar, click on the Home tab.

Step 3: Find the Paragraph feature group below, then click on the Align Center icon (the icon with 4 horizontal bars to center) to center a cell in Word for the document.

Step 4: Next, click on the down arrow of the Line and Paragraph Spacing button on the right side, select the option Add Space Before Paragraph if you want to center a cell in Word vertically with equal spacing above.

3. Center a cell in Word using the right-click menu

Starting from Word 2010, Microsoft has integrated many features into the right-click menu, making it easier for users to access common commands, including the feature to center a cell in Word. To center a cell in Word using the right-click menu, follow the steps below.

Step 1: Open a Word document with a table and text to center in a Word cell.

Step 2: Highlight the cells containing the text to center in a Word cell. Then right-click and select the Cell Alignment option from the displayed menu. 

Step 3: In the displayed context menu, provide options to center a cell in Word for the displayed text in the table. For this case, to center a cell in Word, select the square icon representing center alignment.

4. Center a cell in Word using the Paragraph menu

You can also use the Paragraph menu to center a cell in Word. Perform the following steps to do this. 

Step 1: Open a Word document with the text to center in a Word cell.

Step 2: Highlight the column, row, or table that you want to center in a Word cell. Then right-click and select the Paragraph option from the displayed menu.

Step 3: In the displayed Paragraph dialog box, click on the Indent and Spacing tab, then click on the Alignment menu and select the Centered option from the drop-down menu that suits your Word version.

Step 4: Next, click on the downward arrow of the Line and Paragraph Spacing button to change the settings as needed if you want to center a cell in Word with spacing.

5. Center a cell in Word using Table Properties

Table Properties is also a solution to center a cell in Word using the right-click menu, but in this method, we will use the Table Properties option. Perform the following steps to do this:

Step 1: Open a Word document with a table and text to center in a Word cell.

Step 2: Highlight the column, row, or table that you want to center in a Word cell. Then right-click and select the Table Properties… option from the displayed menu.

Step 3: In the displayed Table Properties dialog box, click on the Cell tab. Now, pay attention to the options below at the Vertical alignment section. You will see three options to center a cell in Word from left to right, including: Top, Bottom, and Center, depending on your usage purpose, select the appropriate option.

For this case, to center a cell in Word, select the Center option. In case you need to center a cell in Word with spacing, click the Options… button to change the settings according to your needs.

Step 4: In the displayed Cell Options dialog box, click to clear the Same as the whole table option, then enter the spacing you want to center a cell in Word in the corresponding Top, Left, Right, Bottom boxes. Finally, click the OK button to save and complete.

6. Center a cell in Word using keyboard shortcuts

The last but also the fastest way to center a cell in Word is to use shortcuts in Word. To center a cell in Word using keyboard shortcuts, simply select all the text within the table and then press the Ctrl + E combination (or Command + E on Mac) to immediately center a cell in Word.

To undo the centering process in Word for any reason, access the Home tab and press the Undo button or press Ctrl + Z on the keyboard (or Command + Z on Mac).

Conclusion

Above is a detailed guide on various solutions to center a cell in Word for different Office versions. For those who regularly use keyboard shortcuts, centering a cell in Word using shortcuts is the fastest and easiest way. However, for those who need to customize more features to further center a cell in Word, you can choose the Table Properties option.