Accessible Excel (implementation guide)

8.2. Page breaks

Page breaks in table rows are suppressed for tables.

What is meant by this?

Page breaks in table rows occur when a table row does not fit on one page and parts of the text are moved to the next page. To ensure the readability and comprehensibility of a multi-page table, page breaks in table rows should be avoided. In concrete terms, this means that automatic page breaks within table rows are prevented. Instead, longer text within a row is not split and is displayed on one page to ensure better readability and comprehensibility of the entire table.

Why is it important?

If page breaks in table rows are not prevented, various problems can occur. For example, cells or columns may be displayed on different pages and the relationships between them may be lost. The contents of table cells can also shift if rows are moved to another page, making the table as a whole difficult to read. A clear and well-structured table is therefore essential for the accessibility of documents.

By suppressing page breaks in table rows, the clarity and structure of the table is improved. Information in the table cells remains uninterrupted and the connection between the individual data is maintained.

How can I implement/check it?

Depending on the operating system, implementation is carried out in two different ways:

Mac:

1. Go to the table with the mouse and click with the right mouse button on the top left or bottom right corner of the table. A context menu opens.
2. Select the "Table properties" option from the context menu.
3. In the window that opens, select the "Line" area.
4. Make sure that the option "Allow page break in line" is not activated. If this option is activated, deactivate it by removing the tick in the corresponding box.

Windows:

1. Go to the table with the mouse and click with the right mouse button on the top left or bottom right corner of the table. A context menu is displayed.
2. Select the "Table properties" option in the context menu.
3. In the "Table properties" window, select the "Row" area.
4. Make sure that the "Allow line breaks on pages" option is not activated. If the box next to it is ticked, click on it to deactivate it.
5. Click on "OK" to save the changes.

Deactivating the "Allow row changes on pages" option ensures that table rows are not split across two pages and that the table as a whole remains easier to read and understand.

To check whether page breaks in table rows are prevented in a table, you can go through the table via View, Page layout and check whether all table rows are displayed completely on one page. If the content in a row is too large, it is advisable to either shorten it, split it up or consider alternative display options.