In this step-by-step tutorial, I'll share how to automate alternating column colours in Affinity Publisher by creating and applying reusable Table Formats.
Follow along using your own data to master this time-saving technique.
But wait! Did you see the first video in this 2 part mini series? What do you mean "No"!! Check it out now and get up to speed on Row Formatting in Affinity Publisher before tackling Column formatting: How to Create Alternate Table Row Colours in Affinity Publisher: Step-by-Step Tutorial
Step 1: Open or Create a Table
- Open Affinity Publisher and start with an existing Table or create a new one
- Ensure your Table has multiple columns and rows
- For this tutorial, I've created a Habit Tracker with 32 columns and 31 rows
Step 2: Create a New Table Format
- Open the "Table Formats" menu from the burger icon
- Select "New Format" to create a blank Table Format
- Name your new format something descriptive to make using it in the future easier - I called this format "Habit Tracker"
Step 3: Define the Table Structure
- Delete any unnecessary rows and columns in the Table Structure
- In this demonstration I was left with two rows that will be used to create formatting for the Header and Body
- Add three columns for the header column, regular columns, and alternate colour columns
Step 4: Format the Header Row
- Select the first cell and create a "Header Left" Cell Format
- Apply a dark accent colour to the header, remove unnecessary borders, and set a 1mm inset
- Align the text to the left and apply a "Table Body Heading Left" text style - Note: I had already created a range of Text Styles in the file - Table Formats are made up of two elements: Cell Formats defined in the Table Format dialog box and Text Styles defined in the Text Styles Panel
- For the other header cells, create a "Header Centre" format with centre-aligned text and similar formatting
Step 5: Format the Body Rows
- Select the first cell of the body row and create a "Habit" Cell Format
- Remove any fills and set the Text Style to "Table Body"
- For the alternate columns, create a "Column - Alt" Cell Format with a light blue fill
- Apply this format to the appropriate columns, ensuring alternating colours
Step 6: Applying the Table Format
- There are two ways to apply the Table Format to your Table
- If you had the Table selected at the point you opened the Table Format dialog box you are able to put a tick in the "Apply style to selection" option to apply the styling to the Table
- The second method would be to Select the Table on your canvas
- In the "Table Formats" burger menu, apply your custom Table Format and choose "Override Local" to apply the Table Format to the Table and remove any local formatting
- Review the formatting and make adjustments if necessary
Step 7: Formatting More Complex Tables
- For Tables like invoices, use the same techniques to define more complex structures
- Create formats for headers, body rows, and footers, adjusting the number of columns and formatting styles accordingly
Step 8: Reuse Table Formats in Future Documents
- You cannot export Table Formats
- You can import Table Formats to the current document from a previous document
- Select the import option from the burger menu of the Table Formats Panel
Conclusion
By following these steps, together with the information from the previous video and tutorial about row formatting, you can easily automate advanced formatting of colours in Affinity Publisher Tables.
Once you’ve created a Table Format, applying it to future Tables is fast and simple. Don’t forget to experiment with custom cell formats to meet your specific needs!
If you enjoyed this tutorial and want more tips and tricks, be sure to check out my free training at ElaineGiles.com/VIP. Don’t forget to subscribe and hit the notification bell so you never miss a new tutorial.
If you have any specific tutorial requests, feel free to reach out - I’d love to hear from you!
Thanks for reading and watching, and see you next time!
