Are tools available to easily design tables for a novice?

My friend started a new job and is required to create different style tables,
including clip art, banners, etc for multiple managers. These tables could
contain meeting minutes, inventory, personnel, schedules and the managers
want various formats, i.e. an angled heading. She is not familiar with all
capabilities of Microsoft Word and is finding it frustrating redesigning each
table from scratch. Are there any shortcuts or tools that might help her be
more productive, rather than re-inventing the wheel each time? For example,
in Excel, I know I can enter data in rows and columns and then select the
type of chart or graph to represent that data. I do not have to design that
graph. Is there a similar capability in Word, or is Excel the product that
she should be using?

If she needs angled headings, then it is Excel that will have to be used as
Word does not have that capability.

--
Hope this helps.

Please reply to the newsgroup unless you wish to avail yourself of my
services on a paid consulting basis.

Doug Robbins - Word MVP
"Wordtablehelp2313" wrote in
message ...
My friend started a new job and is required to create different style
tables,
including clip art, banners, etc for multiple managers. These tables
could
contain meeting minutes, inventory, personnel, schedules and the managers
want various formats, i.e. an angled heading. She is not familiar with
all
capabilities of Microsoft Word and is finding it frustrating redesigning
each
table from scratch. Are there any shortcuts or tools that might help her
be
more productive, rather than re-inventing the wheel each time? For
example,
in Excel, I know I can enter data in rows and columns and then select the
type of chart or graph to represent that data. I do not have to design
that
graph. Is there a similar capability in Word, or is Excel the product
that
she should be using?

She might try playing with Table | Table AutoFormat; in Word 2002 and 2003,
modified table AutoFormats can be saved as "table styles." And yes, sample
tables (with graphics and dummy text if desired) can be saved as AutoText
entries.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
Word MVP FAQ site: http://word.mvps.org
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.

"Wordtablehelp2313" wrote in
message ...
My friend started a new job and is required to create different style
tables,
including clip art, banners, etc for multiple managers. These tables
could
contain meeting minutes, inventory, personnel, schedules and the managers
want various formats, i.e. an angled heading. She is not familiar with
all
capabilities of Microsoft Word and is finding it frustrating redesigning
each
table from scratch. Are there any shortcuts or tools that might help her
be
more productive, rather than re-inventing the wheel each time? For
example,
in Excel, I know I can enter data in rows and columns and then select the
type of chart or graph to represent that data. I do not have to design
that
graph. Is there a similar capability in Word, or is Excel the product
that
she should be using?