Adding a table to a layout

When creating a layout, you can display attribute tables on it to help describe the features your map shows. The appearance of the table in the Table window defines how it will look on the layout. Thus, you'll want to set the text font and size before you add the table to the layout. Once added, any additional formatting to the Table window won't affect its display on the layout.

You determine which rows and columns are displayed on the layout by arranging the data in the Table window beforehand. The row and column that appear in the upper left corner of the Table window define what appears in the upper left corner of the table on the layout. As you enlarge the table frame on the layout, you'll see more rows and columns; however, the data displayed in the upper left corner does not change. ArcMap only displays an entire row or column, so a row or column does not appear until the table frame is large enough.

You can add several table frames from a single table to a layout, but once you've added a table frame to a layout, you can't change its appearance. Instead, delete the table frame, make adjustments to the appearance of the table window, then add the table to the layout again.

To show just the selected rows in the table frame, click the Selected button on the table before adding it to the layout. Selections made afterward do not affect the data in the table frame. If the All button is selected when the table is added, the selection is ignored. Any edits you make to the table are automatically reflected in the table on the layout.

1. Click the Add Data button on the Standard toolbar.
2. Click the Look in arrow and navigate to the folder that contains the table.
3. Click the table.
4. Click Add.
5. Click the List by Source button on the table of contents.
6. Right-click on the table or layer in the table of contents and choose Open Attribute Table.
7. Click Table Options and click Appearance.
8. Set the table font, font color, and font size to define how you want the table to appear on the layout.
9. Click OK.
10. Move the scroll bars so that the data in the upper left corner of the table window shows the data you want to appear in the upper left corner of the table on the layout.
11. Click Table Options and click Add Table to Layout.
12. Click the lower right corner of the table frame and drag until all the data you want to print appears. You can also adjust the position of the table frame on the layout.
13. Click Table Options in the table window and click Appearance to reset the table font, font color, and font size to their original settings.
14. Click OK.