LaTeX Tables - Complete Tutorial Guide - LaTeX Cloud Studio Documentation

Learn how to create professional tables in LaTeX with this comprehensive guide. Whether you’re writing academic papers, technical documentation, or reports, mastering LaTeX tables is essential for presenting data clearly and professionally.

Key concept: Tables in LaTeX consist of two main components: the table environment (float container) and the tabular environment (actual table content).

What You’ll Learn

✅ Basic table structure with tabular environment
✅ Column alignment and formatting options
✅ Professional tables with booktabs package
✅ Multi-column and multi-row cells
✅ Decimal alignment for numeric data
✅ Table captions and cross-references
✅ Advanced formatting techniques

Basic Table Structure

Simple Tabular Environment

\documentclass{article}
\begin{document}

% Basic table without float
\begin{tabular}{lcr}
Left & Center & Right \\
1 & 2 & 3 \\
4 & 5 & 6
\end{tabular}

% With horizontal lines
\begin{tabular}{|l|c|r|}
\hline
Name & Age & Score \\
\hline
Alice & 25 & 95 \\
Bob & 30 & 87 \\
Carol & 28 & 92 \\
\hline
\end{tabular}

\end{document}

Rendered output:

For the first code block (basic table without float):

Left	Center	Right
1	2	3
4	5	6

• Column 1 (l): Text aligns to the left
• Column 2 (c): Text centers in the column
• Column 3 (r): Text aligns to the right

For the second code block (with horizontal lines):

Name	Age	Score
Alice	25	95
Bob	30	87
Carol	28	92

• \hline: Creates horizontal lines above and below rows
• | in column spec: Creates vertical lines between columns
• {|l|c|r|}: Left, center, right columns with vertical separators

Column Specifications

Specifier	Alignment	Description
`l`	Left	Left-aligned column
`c`	Center	Centered column
`r`	Right	Right-aligned column
`p{width}`	Justified	Paragraph column with fixed width
`	`	—	Vertical line
`@{...}`	—	Custom column separator

% Various column types
\begin{tabular}{lcrp{3cm}}
Left & Center & Right & Paragraph text that wraps \\
\end{tabular}

% Custom spacing
\begin{tabular}{l@{\hspace{2cm}}r}
Name & Value \\
\end{tabular}

% Remove default spacing
\begin{tabular}{@{}lcr@{}}
No space & on & sides \\
\end{tabular}

Rendered output:

Paragraph column with text wrapping:

Left

Center

Right

Paragraph text that wraps within the specified width

Custom spacing between columns:

Name

Value

No default spacing (@lcr@):

No space

sides

Table Float Environment

Basic Table with Caption

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{caption}
\begin{document}

\begin{table}[htbp]
  \centering
  \caption{Student grades}
  \label{tab:grades}
  \begin{tabular}{lcc}
    \hline
    Student & Midterm & Final \\
    \hline
    Alice & 85 & 92 \\
    Bob & 78 & 88 \\
    Carol & 92 & 95 \\
    \hline
  \end{tabular}
\end{table}

As shown in Table \ref{tab:grades}, all students improved.

\end{document}

Rendered output:

Table 1: Student grades

Student	Midterm	Final

Alice	85	92
Bob	78	88
Carol	92	95

As shown in Table 1, all students improved.

• \caption: Adds a numbered caption above the table
• \label: Creates a reference label for cross-referencing
• \centering: Centers the table within the page
• [htbp]: Float placement options (here, top, bottom, page)

Table Positioning

% Positioning options
\begin{table}[h]    % Here
\begin{table}[t]    % Top of page
\begin{table}[b]    % Bottom of page
\begin{table}[p]    % Page of floats
\begin{table}[htbp] % Try here, top, bottom, page

% Force exact placement
\usepackage{float}
\begin{table}[H]    % HERE exactly

Lines and Rules

Horizontal Lines

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{booktabs} % For professional tables
\begin{document}

% Basic lines
\begin{tabular}{lcc}
\hline
Header 1 & Header 2 & Header 3 \\
\hline
Data 1 & Data 2 & Data 3 \\
\hline
\end{tabular}

% Professional tables with booktabs
\begin{tabular}{lcc}
\toprule
Header 1 & Header 2 & Header 3 \\
\midrule
Data 1 & Data 2 & Data 3 \\
Data 4 & Data 5 & Data 6 \\
\bottomrule
\end{tabular}

% Partial horizontal lines
\begin{tabular}{lcr}
Full line \\
\hline
Partial & line & below \\
\cline{2-3}
Only & under & these \\
\end{tabular}

\end{document}

Rendered output:

Basic lines with \hline:

Header 1	Header 2	Header 3

Data 1	Data 2	Data 3

Professional tables with booktabs:

Header 1	Header 2	Header 3

Data 1	Data 2	Data 3
Data 4	Data 5	Data 6

Note the improved spacing and varying line weights

Partial horizontal lines with \cline:

Full line

Partial	line	below

Only	under	these

\cline draws a line only under columns 2 and 3

Best practice: Use the booktabs package for professional-looking tables. It provides better spacing and line weights than standard LaTeX rules.

Vertical Lines

% Single vertical lines
\begin{tabular}{l|c|r}
Left & Center & Right \\
\end{tabular}

% Double vertical lines
\begin{tabular}{l||c||r}
Left & Center & Right \\
\end{tabular}

% Mixed lines
\begin{tabular}{|l|c|r|}
\hline
A & B & C \\
\hline
1 & 2 & 3 \\
\hline
\end{tabular}

Rendered output:

Tables with vertical lines:

Left

Center

Right

Left

Center

Right

A	B	C
1	2	3

Note: Vertical lines are generally discouraged in professional tables. They can make tables look cluttered and harder to read.

Column Formatting

Text Alignment and Width

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{array} % Enhanced column types
\begin{document}

% Fixed width columns
\begin{tabular}{p{3cm}p{3cm}p{3cm}}
This is a paragraph column & 
Text wraps automatically & 
Within the specified width \\
\end{tabular}

% Array package column types
\begin{tabular}{>{\bfseries}l c >{\itshape}r}
Bold & Normal & Italic \\
Left & Center & Right \\
\end{tabular}

% Centered fixed-width columns
\usepackage{array}
\newcolumntype{C}[1]{>{\centering\arraybackslash}p{#1}}
\begin{tabular}{C{3cm}C{3cm}}
Centered & Fixed Width \\
\end{tabular}

\end{document}

Rendered output:

Array package column formatting:

Bold	Normal	Italic
Left	Center	Right

Custom centered fixed-width columns:

Centered

Fixed Width

Multi-column Cells

\begin{tabular}{lcr}
\hline
\multicolumn{3}{c}{Spanning Three Columns} \\
\hline
Left & Center & Right \\
A & B & C \\
\multicolumn{2}{l}{Span two} & Right \\
\hline
\end{tabular}

% Complex headers
\begin{tabular}{lcc}
\hline
\multicolumn{1}{c}{Item} & 
\multicolumn{2}{c}{Measurements} \\
\cline{2-3}
& Length & Width \\
\hline
Box A & 10 cm & 5 cm \\
Box B & 15 cm & 8 cm \\
\hline
\end{tabular}

Rendered output:

Multi-column spanning:

Spanning Three Columns
Left	Center	Right
A	B	C
Span two		Right

Complex headers with partial lines:

Item	Measurements
	Length	Width
Box A	10 cm	5 cm
Box B	15 cm	8 cm

Multi-row Cells

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{multirow}
\begin{document}

\begin{tabular}{lcc}
\hline
\multirow{2}{*}{Category} & Value 1 & Value 2 \\
& 10 & 20 \\
\hline
\multirow{3}{*}{Group A} & Item 1 & 100 \\
& Item 2 & 200 \\
& Item 3 & 300 \\
\hline
\end{tabular}

% With width specification
\begin{tabular}{lp{3cm}c}
\hline
\multirow{2}{3cm}{Long text that needs wrapping} & 
Description & Value \\
& More info & 42 \\
\hline
\end{tabular}

\end{document}

Rendered output:

Multi-row cells example:

Category	Value 1	Value 2
Category	10	20
Group A	Item 1	100
	Item 2	200
	Item 3	300

Numeric Alignment

Decimal Alignment

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{siunitx} % For numeric alignment
\begin{document}

% Using siunitx S column
\begin{tabular}{l S[table-format=3.2]}
\hline
Item & {Value} \\
\hline
Product A & 12.5 \\
Product B & 123.45 \\
Product C & 1.234 \\
\hline
\end{tabular}

% Multiple numeric columns
\begin{tabular}{l *{3}{S[table-format=2.1]}}
\hline
Test & {Run 1} & {Run 2} & {Run 3} \\
\hline
A & 9.5 & 10.2 & 9.8 \\
B & 12.1 & 11.9 & 12.3 \\
C & 8.7 & 8.9 & 8.8 \\
\hline
\end{tabular}

\end{document}

Rendered output:

Decimal alignment with siunitx:

Item	Value
Product A	12.5
Product B	123.45
Product C	1.234

Notice how decimal points align vertically

Multiple numeric columns:

Test	Run 1	Run 2	Run 3
A	9.5	10.2	9.8
B	12.1	11.9	12.3
C	8.7	8.9	8.8

Currency and Units

\usepackage{siunitx}

% Currency alignment
\begin{tabular}{l S[table-format=4.2, table-space-text-pre=\$]}
\hline
Item & {Price} \\
\hline
Laptop & \$1299.99 \\
Mouse & \$29.95 \\
Keyboard & \$89.50 \\
\hline
Total & \$1419.44 \\
\hline
\end{tabular}

% Units in headers
\begin{tabular}{l S[table-format=3.1]}
\hline
Material & {Density (\si{g/cm^3})} \\
\hline
Water & 1.0 \\
Iron & 7.9 \\
Gold & 19.3 \\
\hline
\end{tabular}

Rendered output:

Currency alignment with dollar signs:

Item	Price
Laptop	$1299.99
Mouse	$29.95
Keyboard	$89.50

Total	$1419.44

Scientific units in headers:

Material	Density (g/cm³)
Water	1.0
Iron	7.9
Gold	19.3

Coloring Tables

Row and Cell Colors

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage[table]{xcolor}
\begin{document}

% Alternating row colors
\begin{tabular}{lcc}
\rowcolor{gray!20}
Header 1 & Header 2 & Header 3 \\
Row 1 & Data & Data \\
\rowcolor{gray!10}
Row 2 & Data & Data \\
Row 3 & Data & Data \\
\rowcolor{gray!10}
Row 4 & Data & Data \\
\end{tabular}

% Individual cell colors
\begin{tabular}{lcc}
\hline
Normal & \cellcolor{yellow}Highlighted & Normal \\
\cellcolor{red!20}Light red & Normal & \cellcolor{blue!20}Light blue \\
\hline
\end{tabular}

% Column colors
\begin{tabular}{>{\columncolor{gray!20}}l cc}
Gray column & Normal & Normal \\
\end{tabular}

\end{document}

Rendered output:

Alternating row colors:

Header 1	Header 2	Header 3
Row 1	Data	Data
Row 2	Data	Data
Row 3	Data	Data
Row 4	Data	Data

Individual cell coloring:

Normal	Highlighted	Normal
Light red	Normal	Light blue

Professional Striped Tables

\usepackage[table]{xcolor}
\usepackage{booktabs}

% Define alternating colors
\rowcolors{2}{white}{gray!10}

\begin{tabular}{lcc}
\toprule
\rowcolor{gray!40}
Product & Quantity & Price \\
\midrule
Apples & 10 & \$5.00 \\
Oranges & 15 & \$7.50 \\
Bananas & 20 & \$4.00 \\
Grapes & 5 & \$6.00 \\
\bottomrule
\end{tabular}

Rendered output:

Professional striped table with booktabs:

Product	Quantity	Price

Apples	10	$5.00
Oranges	15	$7.50
Bananas	20	$4.00
Grapes	5	$6.00

Table Width Control

Full Width Tables

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{tabularx}
\begin{document}

% Using tabularx
\begin{tabularx}{\textwidth}{lXr}
\hline
Left & Expanding middle column & Right \\
\hline
A & This column expands to fill available space & 100 \\
B & Automatically adjusts width & 200 \\
\hline
\end{tabularx}

% Multiple X columns
\begin{tabularx}{\textwidth}{|X|X|X|}
\hline
Equal & Width & Columns \\
\hline
These three columns & share the available & space equally \\
\hline
\end{tabularx}

% Custom width distribution
\begin{tabularx}{\textwidth}{l>{\hsize=.5\hsize}X>{\hsize=1.5\hsize}Xr}
Fixed & Narrow & Wide expanding column & Fixed \\
\end{tabularx}

\end{document}

Rendered output:

Full-width table with expanding column:

Left	Expanding middle column that fills available space	Right
A	This column expands to fill available space	100
B	Automatically adjusts width	200

Equal width columns spanning full width:

Equal	Width	Columns
These three columns	share the available	space equally

Resizing Tables

\usepackage{graphicx}

% Scale to specific width
\resizebox{\textwidth}{!}{%
\begin{tabular}{lcccccc}
\hline
Many & Columns & That & Would & Be & Too & Wide \\
\hline
Data & Data & Data & Data & Data & Data & Data \\
\hline
\end{tabular}
}

% Scale to fit column width
\resizebox{\columnwidth}{!}{%
\begin{tabular}{lcr}
% Table content
\end{tabular}
}

% Scale by percentage
\scalebox{0.8}{%
\begin{tabular}{lcr}
% 80% of original size
\end{tabular}
}

Rendered output:

Table resized to fit text width (many columns):

Many	Columns	That	Would	Be	Too	Wide
Data	Data	Data	Data	Data	Data	Data

Note: This table would normally overflow the page margins, but resizebox scales it to fit

Table scaled to 80% of original size:

Left

Center

Right

Scalebox maintains aspect ratio while reducing overall size

Table Design Principles

Professional Table Design Guidelines

Creating professional tables in LaTeX requires attention to both technical implementation and design principles. Here are the key guidelines that will elevate your table design:

Clarity First

Tables should communicate data clearly. Avoid unnecessary decorations that distract from the content.

Consistent Formatting

Use consistent number formats, alignment, and styling throughout your document.

Appropriate Spacing

Proper spacing makes tables more readable. Use \arraystretch or booktabs for better spacing.

Meaningful Headers

Clear, descriptive headers help readers understand your data structure immediately.

When to Use Tables vs Other Formats

Not all data belongs in a table. Consider these alternatives:

Data Type	Best Format	When to Use
Few data points	Inline text	When you have 2-3 values that can be mentioned in a sentence
Trends over time	Line graph	When showing how values change over a continuous variable
Proportions	Pie/bar chart	When showing parts of a whole or comparing categories
Complex relationships	Diagram	When showing connections or flow between elements
Structured lists	Tables	When comparing multiple attributes across items

Advanced Table Techniques

Creating Publication-Quality Tables

Professional journals often have specific requirements for tables. Here’s how to meet common standards:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{booktabs}
\usepackage{siunitx}
\usepackage{threeparttable}
\usepackage[font=small,labelfont=bf]{caption}

\begin{document}

\begin{table}[htbp]
\centering
\small % Reduce font size for journal requirements
\caption{Comparison of experimental results across different conditions}
\label{tab:results}
\begin{threeparttable}
\begin{tabular}{@{}lS[table-format=3.1]S[table-format=2.1]S[table-format=1.3]@{}}
\toprule
Condition & {Temperature (\si{\celsius})} & {Time (h)} & {Yield} \\
\midrule
Control\tnote{a} & 25.0 & 2.0 & 0.850 \\
Optimized\tnote{b} & 35.5 & 1.5 & 0.923 \\
Modified & 30.2 & 1.8 & 0.891 \\
\bottomrule
\end{tabular}
\begin{tablenotes}
\footnotesize
\item[a] Standard laboratory conditions
\item[b] Conditions optimized through preliminary experiments
\end{tablenotes}
\end{threeparttable}
\end{table}

\end{document}

Rendered output:

Table 1: Comparison of experimental results across different conditions

Condition	Temperature (°C)	Time (h)	Yield

Control^a	25.0	2.0	0.850
Optimized^b	35.5	1.5	0.923
Modified	30.2	1.8	0.891

^a Standard laboratory conditions
^b Conditions optimized through preliminary experiments

Dynamic Table Generation from External Data

For reproducible research, generating tables from data files is essential:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{pgfplotstable}
\usepackage{booktabs}
\usepackage{filecontents}

% Create sample data file
\begin{filecontents*}{data.csv}
Sample,Temperature,Pressure,Result
A,25.3,101.2,Pass
B,26.1,102.5,Pass
C,24.8,99.8,Fail
D,25.7,101.9,Pass
\end{filecontents*}

\begin{document}

% Basic CSV import
\pgfplotstabletypeset[
  col sep=comma,
  string type,
  every head row/.style={
    before row=\toprule,
    after row=\midrule
  },
  every last row/.style={
    after row=\bottomrule
  }
]{data.csv}

% Advanced formatting
\pgfplotstabletypeset[
  col sep=comma,
  string type,
  columns={Sample,Temperature,Result}, % Select specific columns
  column type/.add={}{}, % Clear default column types
  columns/Sample/.style={column name=\textbf{Sample ID}},
  columns/Temperature/.style={
    column name=\textbf{Temp. (\si{\celsius})},
    fixed,
    precision=1
  },
  columns/Result/.style={
    column name=\textbf{Status},
    postproc cell content/.code={
      \ifstrequal{##1}{Pass}
        {\pgfkeysalso{@cell content=\textcolor{green!60!black}{##1}}}
        {\pgfkeysalso{@cell content=\textcolor{red!60!black}{##1}}}
    }
  }
]{data.csv}

\end{document}

Rendered output:

Basic CSV import:

Sample	Temperature	Pressure	Result

A	25.3	101.2	Pass
B	26.1	102.5	Pass
C	24.8	99.8	Fail
D	25.7	101.9	Pass

Advanced formatting with column selection and styling:

Sample ID	Temp. (°C)	Status

A	25.3	Pass
B	26.1	Pass
C	24.8	Fail
D	25.7	Pass

Accessibility in Tables

While LaTeX primarily produces PDF output, considering accessibility improves document usability:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{booktabs}
\usepackage{array}

% Define column type for headers
\newcolumntype{H}{>{\bfseries}l}

\begin{document}

% Use semantic markup
\begin{table}[htbp]
\caption{Student enrollment by department and year}
\label{tab:enrollment}
\centering
\begin{tabular}{H*{4}{r}}
\toprule
Department & \textbf{2021} & \textbf{2022} & \textbf{2023} \\
\midrule
Computer Science & 245 & 289 & 312 \\
Mathematics & 156 & 162 & 171 \\
Physics & 98 & 103 & 99 \\
Chemistry & 134 & 141 & 139 \\
\midrule
\textbf{Total} & \textbf{633} & \textbf{695} & \textbf{721} \\
\bottomrule
\end{tabular}
\end{table}

% Alternative text description
\begin{quote}
\textit{Table description: This table shows student enrollment numbers across four science departments from 2021 to 2023, with totals for each year. Overall enrollment increased from 633 to 721 students.}
\end{quote}

\end{document}

Rendered output:

Accessible table with semantic markup:

Table: Student enrollment by department and year

Department	2021	2022	2023

Computer Science	245	289	312
Mathematics	156	162	171
Physics	98	103	99
Chemistry	134	141	139

Total	633	695	721

Table description: This table shows student enrollment numbers across four science departments from 2021 to 2023, with totals for each year. Overall enrollment increased from 633 to 721 students.

Troubleshooting Complex Tables

Common Table Problems and Solutions

Table extends beyond page margins

Problem: Your table is too wide for the page.

Solutions:

Use \small or \footnotesize to reduce font size
Use tabularx to automatically adjust column widths
Rotate the table with rotating package
Use \resizebox (last resort - can make text too small)

% Option 1: Reduce font size
{\small
\begin{tabular}{llllll}
% Table content
\end{tabular}
}

% Option 2: Use tabularx
\begin{tabularx}{\textwidth}{l*{5}{X}}
% Content automatically fits page width
\end{tabularx}

Decimal points don't align

Problem: Numbers in columns don’t align at decimal points.

Solution: Use the siunitx package with S-type columns:

\usepackage{siunitx}
\begin{tabular}{l S[table-format=3.2]}
Item & {Value} \\
\hline
Product A & 12.5 \\
Product B & 123.45 \\
Product C & 1.234 \\
\end{tabular}

Table numbering is wrong

Problem: Tables are numbered incorrectly or out of sequence.

Solutions:

Check for manual \setcounter commands
Ensure proper placement of \caption
Use \numberwithin{table}{section} for section-based numbering

% Reset numbering by section
\usepackage{amsmath}
\numberwithin{table}{section}

% Manual adjustment if needed
\setcounter{table}{0}

Performance Optimization for Large Tables

Handling Tables with Thousands of Rows

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{longtable}
\usepackage{array}

% Optimize compilation for large tables
\usepackage{etoolbox}
\AtBeginEnvironment{longtable}{\small}

\begin{document}

% For very large datasets, consider:
% 1. External processing
% 2. Pagination
% 3. Summary tables

\begin{longtable}{@{}lrrr@{}}
\caption{Large dataset with automatic page breaks} \\
\toprule
ID & Value A & Value B & Result \\
\midrule
\endfirsthead

\multicolumn{4}{c}{\tablename\ \thetable\ -- \textit{Continued}} \\
\toprule
ID & Value A & Value B & Result \\
\midrule
\endhead

\midrule
\multicolumn{4}{r}{\textit{Continued on next page}} \\
\endfoot

\bottomrule
\endlastfoot

% Generate sample data
\newcount\rowcount
\rowcount=1
\loop
  \the\rowcount & \number\numexpr\rowcount*2\relax & 
  \number\numexpr\rowcount*3\relax & 
  \number\numexpr\rowcount*5\relax \\
  \advance\rowcount by 1
\ifnum\rowcount<100 \repeat

\end{longtable}

\end{document}

Rendered output:

Table: Large dataset with automatic page breaks

ID	Value A	Value B	Result

1	2	3	5
2	4	6	10
3	6	9	15
4	8	12	20
5	10	15	25
… (continues for 100 rows)

Continued on next page

Note: longtable automatically handles page breaks and continues headers on each page

Best Practices

Table design guidelines:

Simplicity: Less is more - avoid excessive lines and decoration
Alignment: Right-align numbers, left-align text
Spacing: Use adequate white space for readability
Captions: Place captions above tables (convention)
Consistency: Use the same style throughout your document
Booktabs: Use \toprule, \midrule, \bottomrule for professional appearance
Width: Avoid tables wider than text width

Common Issues and Solutions

Troubleshooting tables:

Table too wide: Use tabularx, \small, or rotate the table
Text not wrapping: Use p{width} columns instead of l, c, or r
Vertical alignment: Use [t], [c], or [b] with p columns
Missing package errors: Load required packages (array, booktabs, etc.)
Spacing issues: Adjust \arraystretch or use \renewcommand{\arraystretch}{1.2}

Comparison with Other Table Tools

LaTeX Tables vs Word/Excel Tables

Understanding when to use LaTeX tables versus other tools:

Feature	LaTeX	Word	Excel
Precision	Exact control	Limited	Good for calculations
Consistency	Excellent	Manual	Good within sheet
Math support	Native	Limited	Basic
Automation	Scriptable	Limited	VBA/Macros
Version control	Text-based	Binary	Binary
Learning curve	Steep	Gentle	Moderate

Converting Tables Between Formats

% Converting Excel data to LaTeX
% Option 1: Use excel2latex plugin
% Option 2: Export as CSV and use pgfplotstable
% Option 3: Use online converters

% Example using datatool package
\usepackage{datatool}
\DTLloaddb{mydata}{data.csv}

\begin{tabular}{lrr}
\toprule
\DTLforeach{mydata}{%
  \name=Name,\value=Value,\status=Status}{%
  \name & \value & \status \\
}
\bottomrule
\end{tabular}

Rendered output:

Example using datatool to import CSV data:

Name	Value	Status
Product A	125	Active
Product B	89	Pending
Product C	203	Active

This table was automatically generated from CSV data

Real-World Table Examples

Financial Reports

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{booktabs}
\usepackage{siunitx}
\usepackage{xcolor}

\begin{document}

\begin{table}[htbp]
\centering
\caption{Quarterly Financial Summary (in millions)}
\begin{tabular}{l*{4}{S[table-format=4.1]}S[table-format=+3.1]}
\toprule
{Revenue Stream} & {Q1} & {Q2} & {Q3} & {Q4} & {Change (\%)} \\
\midrule
Product Sales & 125.4 & 132.7 & 141.2 & 156.8 & +25.0 \\
Services & 45.2 & 47.8 & 49.1 & 52.3 & +15.7 \\
Licensing & 12.3 & 11.9 & 13.2 & 14.1 & +14.6 \\
\midrule
\textbf{Total Revenue} & 182.9 & 192.4 & 203.5 & 223.2 & +22.0 \\
\midrule
Operating Expenses & 89.2 & 91.5 & 94.8 & 98.2 & +10.1 \\
\midrule
\textbf{Net Income} & \textbf{93.7} & \textbf{100.9} & \textbf{108.7} & \textbf{125.0} & 
  \textcolor{green!60!black}{\textbf{+33.4}} \\
\bottomrule
\end{tabular}
\end{table}

\end{document}

Rendered output:

Table: Quarterly Financial Summary (in millions)

Revenue Stream	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Change (%)

Product Sales	125.4	132.7	141.2	156.8	+25.0
Services	45.2	47.8	49.1	52.3	+15.7
Licensing	12.3	11.9	13.2	14.1	+14.6

Total Revenue	182.9	192.4	203.5	223.2	+22.0

Operating Expenses	89.2	91.5	94.8	98.2	+10.1

Net Income	93.7	100.9	108.7	125.0	+33.4

Scientific Data Tables

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{booktabs}
\usepackage{siunitx}
\usepackage{multirow}

\begin{document}

\begin{table}[htbp]
\centering
\caption{Experimental measurements with uncertainties}
\begin{tabular}{
  l
  S[table-format=2.3(1)]
  S[table-format=3.2(2)]
  S[table-format=1.4(1)]
}
\toprule
{Sample} & {Mass (\si{\gram})} & {Volume (\si{\milli\liter})} & {Density (\si{\gram\per\cubic\centi\meter})} \\
\midrule
Water (control) & 10.000(5) & 10.02(3) & 0.9980(8) \\
Solution A & 12.345(8) & 11.23(5) & 1.0990(12) \\
Solution B & 15.678(10) & 13.45(8) & 1.1658(15) \\
\multirow{2}{*}{Solution C} & 18.234(12) & 15.12(10) & 1.2061(18) \\
& \multicolumn{3}{c}{\textit{Measurement repeated due to anomaly}} \\
\bottomrule
\end{tabular}
\end{table}

\end{document}

Rendered output:

Table: Experimental measurements with uncertainties

Sample	Mass (g)	Volume (mL)	Density (g/cm³)

Water (control)	10.000 ± 0.005	10.02 ± 0.03	0.9980 ± 0.0008
Solution A	12.345 ± 0.008	11.23 ± 0.05	1.0990 ± 0.0012
Solution B	15.678 ± 0.010	13.45 ± 0.08	1.1658 ± 0.0015
Solution C	18.234 ± 0.012	15.12 ± 0.10	1.2061 ± 0.0018
Solution C	Measurement repeated due to anomaly

Quick Reference

Essential Commands

Command	Purpose
`\hline`	Horizontal line
`\cline{i-j}`	Partial horizontal line
`\multicolumn{n}{format}{text}`	Span n columns
`\multirow{n}{width}{text}`	Span n rows
`&`	Column separator
`\\`	Row separator
`\caption{}`	Table caption
`\label{}`	Reference label

Column Types Summary

l              % left-aligned
c              % centered  
r              % right-aligned
p{3cm}         % paragraph, fixed width
|              % vertical line
@{text}        % custom separator
>{decl}col     % apply declaration to column
<{decl}        % apply declaration after column

Next: Learn about Advanced table features including complex layouts, long tables, and professional formatting techniques. Also explore Mathematical matrices for similar structured layouts.

Figure Positioning and Layout Advanced Table Features

On this page

What You’ll Learn
Basic Table Structure
Simple Tabular Environment
Column Specifications
Table Float Environment
Basic Table with Caption
Table Positioning
Lines and Rules
Horizontal Lines
Vertical Lines
Column Formatting
Text Alignment and Width
Multi-column Cells
Multi-row Cells
Numeric Alignment
Decimal Alignment
Currency and Units
Coloring Tables
Row and Cell Colors
Professional Striped Tables
Table Width Control
Full Width Tables
Resizing Tables
Table Design Principles
Professional Table Design Guidelines
When to Use Tables vs Other Formats
Advanced Table Techniques
Creating Publication-Quality Tables
Dynamic Table Generation from External Data
Accessibility in Tables
Making Tables Screen-Reader Friendly
Troubleshooting Complex Tables
Common Table Problems and Solutions
Performance Optimization for Large Tables
Handling Tables with Thousands of Rows
Best Practices
Common Issues and Solutions
Comparison with Other Table Tools
LaTeX Tables vs Word/Excel Tables
Converting Tables Between Formats
Real-World Table Examples
Financial Reports
Scientific Data Tables
Quick Reference
Essential Commands
Column Types Summary

Getting Started

LaTeX Basics

Text & Formatting

Mathematics

Figures & Tables

Specialized Notation

Bibliography & References

Advanced Topics

​What You’ll Learn

​Basic Table Structure

​Simple Tabular Environment

​Column Specifications

​Table Float Environment

​Basic Table with Caption

​Table Positioning

​Lines and Rules

​Horizontal Lines

​Vertical Lines

​Column Formatting

​Text Alignment and Width

​Multi-column Cells

​Multi-row Cells

​Numeric Alignment

​Decimal Alignment

​Currency and Units

​Coloring Tables

​Row and Cell Colors

​Professional Striped Tables

​Table Width Control

​Full Width Tables

​Resizing Tables

​Table Design Principles

​Professional Table Design Guidelines

Clarity First

Consistent Formatting

Appropriate Spacing

Meaningful Headers

​When to Use Tables vs Other Formats

​Advanced Table Techniques

​Creating Publication-Quality Tables

​Dynamic Table Generation from External Data

​Accessibility in Tables

​Making Tables Screen-Reader Friendly

​Troubleshooting Complex Tables

​Common Table Problems and Solutions

​Performance Optimization for Large Tables

​Handling Tables with Thousands of Rows

​Best Practices

​Common Issues and Solutions

​Comparison with Other Table Tools

​LaTeX Tables vs Word/Excel Tables

​Converting Tables Between Formats

​Real-World Table Examples

​Financial Reports

​Scientific Data Tables

​Quick Reference

​Essential Commands

​Column Types Summary

What You’ll Learn

Basic Table Structure

Simple Tabular Environment

Column Specifications

Table Float Environment

Basic Table with Caption

Table Positioning

Lines and Rules

Horizontal Lines

Vertical Lines

Column Formatting

Text Alignment and Width

Multi-column Cells

Multi-row Cells

Numeric Alignment

Decimal Alignment

Currency and Units

Coloring Tables

Row and Cell Colors

Professional Striped Tables

Table Width Control

Full Width Tables

Resizing Tables

Table Design Principles

Professional Table Design Guidelines

When to Use Tables vs Other Formats

Advanced Table Techniques

Creating Publication-Quality Tables

Dynamic Table Generation from External Data

Accessibility in Tables

Making Tables Screen-Reader Friendly

Troubleshooting Complex Tables

Common Table Problems and Solutions

Performance Optimization for Large Tables

Handling Tables with Thousands of Rows

Best Practices

Common Issues and Solutions

Comparison with Other Table Tools

LaTeX Tables vs Word/Excel Tables

Converting Tables Between Formats

Real-World Table Examples

Financial Reports

Scientific Data Tables

Quick Reference

Essential Commands

Column Types Summary