Extra Line Appears in Pasted Microsoft Excel Table

• Microsoft Word for Windows, versions 2.0, 2.0a, 2.0a-cd, 2.0b, 2.0c, 6.0, 6.0a, 6.0c
• Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 3.0, 4.0, 5.0

SYMPTOMS

When you paste or paste link a Microsoft Excel table into Word, an extra line appears above the text. Also, text that fits in a cell in a Microsoft Excel worksheet wraps differently when copied and pasted into Microsoft Word.

CAUSE

There are three possible causes for this problem.

• Word and Microsoft Excel wrap text within cells differently. Microsoft Excel places no space between text in a cell and the cell boundary, while Word assumes 0.111 inch between text and the cell edge. When information is pasted from Microsoft Excel into Word, Word uses the same column width but uses different rules for wrapping text within the cell.

  If there are any spaces at the beginning of a cell, Word may wrap the text that follows it onto a second line within the cell. This gives the effect of a blank line at the beginning of the table.

• One format that inserts spaces at the beginning of a cell is the Accounting format. It includes an asterisk that repeats the next character in the format enough times to fill the column width. Usually it tells Microsoft Excel to fill the cell up with extra spaces.
• If you are using a different default font in Word than you are in Microsoft Excel, text within cells will wrap differently. A larger font in Word will cause text to wrap to the next line sooner than if Word is using a smaller font than Microsoft Excel.

WORKAROUNDS

Method 1: Delete a few of the cell's extra spaces.

Method 2: Select the table in Word, and change the font size to match

          Microsoft Excel's font size.

          a. Select the table.

          b. From the Table Menu, choose Cell Height & Width.

          c. Select the Column tab.

          d. Choose AutoFit.