Too much right-hand padding of text inside table cells

[Combs, Richard]

Avraham Makeler wrote: 
 
> I am having a problem with right-hand padding of text inside table cells.
> 
> I am editing an API reference guide, and some of the software object names
> are 5 inches long (measured in Arial 8 pt at 100% zoom on a 21" 1600x1200
> monitor).
> 
> The problem is that I am consistently getting an approx. 7 mm padding (at
> the above cell width of 5 inches), which is way too much space to go to
> waste when the column is already that wide; and I do need space for a
> further couple of columns.
> 
> I have set to zero the cell margins in both the Paragraph Designer and
> Table
> Designer, but I still have the same problem.

Have you tried printing a page containing such a table? The "problem" may exist only on your monitor. Screen font metrics and printer font metrics aren't the same. 

There's a setting in the [Fonts] section of the maker.ini file that governs how characters are spaced on the screen. By default, it's set as follows: 

	DisplayUsingPrinterMetrics=Off

This setting uses screen font metrics, which produce the best screen display, but don't accurately reflect line lengths when printed. So you think there's lots of room left on a line and wonder why it wraps so soon. But actually the line is full when printer font metrics are applied. 

If you change that setting to On, the screen display will more accurately reflect line lengths when you print (and that means either printing hardcopy or creating a PDF). 

HTH!

Richard G. Combs
Senior Technical Writer
Polycom, Inc.
richardDOTcombs AT polycomDOTcom
303-223-5111
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rgcombs AT gmailDOTcom
303-903-6372
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