[Pro] how to stop table columns expanding sideways?

I’m working on a html email at the moment, and what I thought was straight forward table creation has got me flummoxed!

I’ve created a table using the table tool and joined several cells to create a what is essentially a 2 column grid with the left hand column being twice as wide as the right hand one. I’ve dropped text into both columns, but straight away the text in the RH column forced the column wider and beyond the edge of the page. I tried narrowing the column but it wouldn’t reduce in size. Do cells have a minimum width when text is placed in them?

When viewing in Safari and increasing the point size, both columns enlarge horizontally and vertically taking up all the horizontal space. I’ve seen other multi-column html emails that only expand downwards, so where am I going wrong?


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Only thing I’ve ever seen for minimum width is the length of the longest word.

For your point two, select the whole table. In the Item Output Tab of the Inspector Palette, uncheck “Width can grow.”


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No, on both counts.

The longest word is far shorter than the width of the column, and ‘width can grow’ isn’t checked.


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Here’s a link for the html email as it stands at the moment:
http://www.thinktankcd.com/Test/eshot-test/eshot.html

When the text is enlarged in Safari, the columns widen to accommodate it. I’m trying all sorts of things to try and keep the columns the same width but I’m obviously doing something wrong. Will somebody please tell me what it is?

Thanks

Neil


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The newest version of Safari can zoom the entire page proportionally,
or just the text, depending on a preference you set somewhere (maybe
the View menu?). That’s probably what you’re seeing here, and it’s not
a good predictor for how the final message will look in an actual Mail
or Outlook window. Try mailing it to yourself, or use one of the
online validators to preview how badly Outlook will mess it up.

Walter

On May 6, 2010, at 12:09 PM, neil.west1 wrote:

Here’s a link for the html email as it stands at the moment:
http://www.thinktankcd.com/Test/eshot-test/eshot.html

When the text is enlarged in Safari, the columns widen to
accommodate it. I’m trying all sorts of things to try and keep the
columns the same width but I’m obviously doing something wrong. Will
somebody please tell me what it is?

Thanks

Neil


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Thanks Walt, but it’s not that.

My Safari is zooming just the text. as is Firefox - but in both cases the table is expanding to the right. This is only the 2nd html email I’ve done and the last one was a single column and only expanded downwards. I also have a sample from Max which is 2 column, and his only expands downwards, so I’m definitely doing something wrong - I just can’t see what it is!

Neil


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AAARGH!! STUPID!!

After building the page several times and trying all sorts, I’ve figured out what it was… it was the text in the right hand column. At initial glance, it all looked okay, until I noticed that two long words were separated by an ellipsis, but no space, hence it being read as one very long word which was forcing the column wider!!

Neil


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Only thing I’ve ever seen for minimum width is the length of the longest word.

For your point two, select the whole table. In the Item Output Tab of the Inspector Palette, uncheck “Width can grow.”

Sorry Bucky, I’ve just re-read the posts and realised that you had it exactly right first time! - I should have had a closer look at the text sooner!


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Ah, the old Non-breaking Ellipsis Fail. So, as the megaword got bigger, the table had to expand right to accommodate that one word?

Verrrrrrry interesting. It’s always fascinating how we look for the problems we’re imagining, not the ones that are actually occuring, huh? Story of my life.

Glad you got the actual problem straightened out.


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