LaTeX Table Spacing: Row and Column Separation
Date Published
Table Spacing in LaTeX
Create well-spaced, readable tables by controlling row and column separation.
Row Spacing
\arraystretch
Multiply all row heights:
\renewcommand{\arraystretch}{1.5}
\begin{tabular}{|c|c|} \hline Cell 1 & Cell 2 \\ \hline Cell 3 & Cell 4 \\ \hline \end{tabular}
Reset afterward:
\renewcommand{\arraystretch}{1.0}
Extra Space on Individual Rows
Add space after a row:
Row content \\[1ex]
The [1ex] adds 1ex of vertical space.
\addlinespace (booktabs)
\usepackage{booktabs}
\begin{tabular}{cc} \toprule A & B \\ \midrule 1 & 2 \\ \addlinespace 3 & 4 \\ \bottomrule \end{tabular}
Column Spacing
\tabcolsep
Space between columns (half the total gap):
\setlength{\tabcolsep}{10pt}
Default is 6pt.
@{} to Remove Padding
\begin{tabular}{@{}cc@{}}
Removes space at edges.
Custom Spacing Between Columns
\begin{tabular}{c@{\hspace{1cm}}c}
Adds 1cm between columns.
Cell Padding
Vertical Padding
Use \rule for invisible struts:
\rule{0pt}{3ex} — adds height above
\rule[-1ex]{0pt}{0pt} — adds depth below
Or use the cellspace package:
\usepackage{cellspace}
\begin{tabular}{S{c}S{c}}
Adds automatic padding.
Horizontal Padding
Use \hspace in cells:
\hspace{5pt}Content\hspace{5pt}
The array Package
Enhanced column types:
\usepackage{array}
\begin{tabular}{>{\hspace{1em}}c<{\hspace{1em}}}
Adds space before and after column content.
Professional Tables with booktabs
\usepackage{booktabs}
\begin{tabular}{lcc} \toprule Name & Value 1 & Value 2 \\ \midrule Item A & 10 & 20 \\ Item B & 15 & 25 \\ \bottomrule \end{tabular}
Key commands: \toprule — thick line at top \midrule — medium line for headers \bottomrule — thick line at bottom \cmidrule{2-3} — partial line
Fixed-Width Columns
p{width} — top-aligned paragraph m{width} — middle-aligned (requires array) b{width} — bottom-aligned
\begin{tabular}{p{3cm}p{3cm}}
Multirow and Multicolumn
Span Multiple Columns
\multicolumn{2}{c}{Spanning two columns}
Span Multiple Rows
\usepackage{multirow}
\multirow{2}{*}{Spanning}
Full Example
\renewcommand{\arraystretch}{1.3} \setlength{\tabcolsep}{12pt}
\begin{tabular}{lcc} \toprule \textbf{Item} & \textbf{Qty} & \textbf{Price} \\ \midrule Widget A & 10 & \$5.00 \\ Widget B & 25 & \$3.50 \\ \addlinespace \textbf{Total} & 35 & \$137.50 \\ \bottomrule \end{tabular}
Common Issues
Problem: Table too cramped Solution: Increase \arraystretch and \tabcolsep
Problem: Headers touching lines Solution: Add \\[0.5ex] after header row
Problem: Inconsistent spacing Solution: Use booktabs for professional look
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