: How to beautifully incorporate tables in texts/documents From time to time I have to write a small report and usually I end up having to present data in a table. Everytime I end up thinking

@Turnbaugh909

Just a few rules I follow myself...


Always zebra stripe, never border
Always different appearing header rows


The problem with most tables is, well, they look tabular. :) I try and diminish the appearance of a rectangle as much as possible and favor horizontals so they are more in line with simple text.

In addition, tabular data can often be reflected in a chart rather than a table. This is especially true of the table when it is small. So, when possible, I'll change the data to more of a graphic using a pie chart or some other chart rather than a boring old table. Of course, this depends greatly on the complexity of the data.



Ultimately, tables are merely a method to visually organize data. There are often many ways the data can be organized. "Infographics" are all about organizing tabular data into a visually appealing format. There's an unlimited way you can organize the data into an infographic (samples).

There's a question here which maybe helpful discussing immediate vs. sequential data interpretation. Regardless of my efforts to do so, I can't seem to find that question.

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