How to fit a table to page width by changing font size?

Question

\begin{table}[htbp]
\scriptsize
\centering
\caption{Table}
\begin{tabular}{ccccccccccccccccccccc}
\toprule
\multirow{2}{*}{Status} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{Jan} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{Feb} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{Mar} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{Apr} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{Jun} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{Jul} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{Aug} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{Sep} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{Oct} \\
\cmidrule(r){2-3}\cmidrule(r){4-5}\cmidrule(r){6-7}\cmidrule(r){8-9}\cmidrule(r){10-11}\cmidrule(r){12-13}\cmidrule(r){14-15}\cmidrule(r){16-17}\cmidrule(r){18-19}\cmidrule(r){20-21}
& CNT & PCT (\%) & CNT & PCT (\%) & CNT & PCT (\%) & CNT & PCT (\%) & CNT & PCT (\%) & CNT & PCT (\%) & CNT & PCT (\%) & CNT & PCT (\%) & CNT & PCT (\%) & CNT & PCT (\%) \\
\midrule
    A & 3516  & 14.88 & 2270  & 14.17 & 2605  & 15.40 & 3668  & 15.53 & 3277  & 15.21 & 2917  & 15.30 & 4444  & 14.40 & 3321  & 13.87 & 2704  & 14.41 & 4441  & 0.13376 \\
    A & 1     & 0.00 & 0     & 0.00 & 0     & 0.00 & 0     & 0.00 & 7     & 0.03 & 11    & 0.06 & 38    & 0.12 & 30    & 0.13 & 325   & 1.73 & 5056  & 0.15228 \\
    A & 0     & 0.00 & 0     & 0.00 & 0     & 0.00 & 0     & 0.00 & 0     & 0.00 & 1     & 0.01 & 7     & 0.02 & 8     & 0.03 & 1     & 0.01 & 8     & 0.00024 \\
    A & 20115 & 85.12 & 13753 & 85.83 & 14306 & 84.58 & 19947 & 84.45 & 18245 & 84.71 & 16116 & 84.54 & 26301 & 85.21 & 20465 & 85.49 & 15569 & 82.96 & 23233 & 0.69975 \\
    A & 0     & 0.00 & 0     & 0.00 & 0     & 0.00 & 0     & 0.00 & 0     & 0.00 & 4     & 0.02 & 5     & 0.02 & 6     & 0.03 & 20    & 0.11 & 148   & 0.00446 \\
    A & 0     & 0.00 & 0     & 0.00 & 0     & 0.00 & 0     & 0.00 & 3     & 0.01 & 1     & 0.01 & 4     & 0.01 & 9     & 0.04 & 30    & 0.16 & 73    & 0.0022 \\
    A & 0     & 0.00 & 0     & 0.00 & 3     & 0.02 & 4     & 0.02 & 7     & 0.03 & 14    & 0.07 & 67    & 0.22 & 100   & 0.42 & 118   & 0.63 & 243   & 0.00732 \\
\bottomrule
\end{tabular}%
\end{table}%

reducing the font size tofit this table on a page will make it pretty much unreadable. I suggest to split it in multiple tables, on below the other — samcarter_is_at_topanswers.xyz, Dec 17 '18 at 13:43
Unrelated to the question: I suggest to have a look at the siunitx package. It would allow you to align your numbers by their decimal marker. — samcarter_is_at_topanswers.xyz, Dec 17 '18 at 13:44

score 3 · Accepted Answer · answered Dec 17 '18 at 13:55

My suggestion would be to not make the font size unreadable small, but to continue the table in the next line:

\documentclass{article}

\usepackage{booktabs}
\usepackage{multirow}
\usepackage{tabularx}

\begin{document}

\begin{table}[htbp]
%\small
\centering
\caption{Table}
\begin{tabularx}{\linewidth}{@{}XXXXXXXXX@{}}
\toprule
\multirow{2}{*}{Status} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{Jan} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{Feb} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{Mar} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{Apr}\\ \cmidrule(r){2-3}\cmidrule(r){4-5}\cmidrule(r){6-7}\cmidrule(r){8-9}
& CNT & PCT (\%) & CNT & PCT (\%) & CNT & PCT (\%) & CNT & PCT (\%) \\
\midrule
  A & 3516  & 14.88 & 2270  & 14.17 & 2605  & 15.40 & 3668  & 15.53\\
  A & 1     & 0.00 & 0     & 0.00 & 0     & 0.00 & 0     & 0.00 \\
  A & 1     & 0.00 & 0     & 0.00 & 0     & 0.00 & 0     & 0.00 \\
    A & 1     & 0.00 & 0     & 0.00 & 0     & 0.00 & 0     & 0.00 \\
    A & 1     & 0.00 & 0     & 0.00 & 0     & 0.00 & 0     & 0.00 \\
    A & 1     & 0.00 & 0     & 0.00 & 0     & 0.00 & 0     & 0.00 \\    
\bottomrule
\end{tabularx}%

\bigskip
\begin{tabularx}{\linewidth}{@{}XXXXXXXXXX@{}}
\toprule
\multicolumn{2}{c}{Mai} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{Jun} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{Jul} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{Aug} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{Sep}\\ \cmidrule(r){1-2}\cmidrule(r){3-4}\cmidrule(r){5-6}\cmidrule(r){7-8}\cmidrule(r){9-10}
CNT & PCT (\%) & CNT & PCT (\%) & CNT & PCT (\%) & CNT & PCT (\%) & CNT & PCT (\%)\\
\midrule
3516  & 14.88 & 2270  & 14.17 & 2605  & 15.40 & 3668  & 15.53& 3668  & 15.53\\
1     & 0.00 & 0     & 0.00 & 0     & 0.00 & 0     & 0.00 & 0     & 0.00\\
1     & 0.00 & 0     & 0.00 & 0     & 0.00 & 0     & 0.00 & 0     & 0.00\\
1     & 0.00 & 0     & 0.00 & 0     & 0.00 & 0     & 0.00 & 0     & 0.00\\
1     & 0.00 & 0     & 0.00 & 0     & 0.00 & 0     & 0.00 & 0     & 0.00\\
\bottomrule
\end{tabularx}%
\end{table}%

\end{document}

how do you make sure that the two tables stay right next to each other? wouldn't this design be subject to being split apart by LaTeX's placement choices? e.g. when the upper half fits before a page break, but not the whole construct. — thymaro, Dec 17 '18 at 14:02
@thymaro I place them all in the same table environment, so no splitting will take place. Worst case will be that all tables will together end up on the next page. (but this could also happen to the "monster" table from the question.) — samcarter_is_at_topanswers.xyz, Dec 17 '18 at 14:04
Ahh, yes, didn't look through the code closely. Of course, that solves it. — thymaro, Dec 17 '18 at 14:14

score 1 · Answer 2 · answered Dec 17 '18 at 14:02

\begin{table}[htbp]
\scriptsize
\centering
\caption{Table}
\resizebox{\columnwidth}{!}{
\begin{adjustbox}{angle=55}
\begin{tabular}{ccccccccccccccccccccc}
\toprule
\multirow{2}{*}{Status} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{Jan} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{Feb} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{Mar} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{Apr} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{Jun} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{Jul} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{Aug} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{Sep} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{Oct} \\
\cmidrule(r){2-3}\cmidrule(r){4-5}\cmidrule(r){6-7}\cmidrule(r){8-9}\cmidrule(r){10-11}\cmidrule(r){12-13}\cmidrule(r){14-15}\cmidrule(r){16-17}\cmidrule(r){18-19}\cmidrule(r){20-21}
& CNT & PCT (\%) & CNT & PCT (\%) & CNT & PCT (\%) & CNT & PCT (\%) & CNT & PCT (\%) & CNT & PCT (\%) & CNT & PCT (\%) & CNT & PCT (\%) & CNT & PCT (\%) & CNT & PCT (\%) \\
\midrule
    A & 3516  & 14.88 & 2270  & 14.17 & 2605  & 15.40 & 3668  & 15.53 & 3277  & 15.21 & 2917  & 15.30 & 4444  & 14.40 & 3321  & 13.87 & 2704  & 14.41 & 4441  & 0.13376 \\
    A & 1     & 0.00 & 0     & 0.00 & 0     & 0.00 & 0     & 0.00 & 7     & 0.03 & 11    & 0.06 & 38    & 0.12 & 30    & 0.13 & 325   & 1.73 & 5056  & 0.15228 \\
    A & 0     & 0.00 & 0     & 0.00 & 0     & 0.00 & 0     & 0.00 & 0     & 0.00 & 1     & 0.01 & 7     & 0.02 & 8     & 0.03 & 1     & 0.01 & 8     & 0.00024 \\
    A & 20115 & 85.12 & 13753 & 85.83 & 14306 & 84.58 & 19947 & 84.45 & 18245 & 84.71 & 16116 & 84.54 & 26301 & 85.21 & 20465 & 85.49 & 15569 & 82.96 & 23233 & 0.69975 \\
    A & 0     & 0.00 & 0     & 0.00 & 0     & 0.00 & 0     & 0.00 & 0     & 0.00 & 4     & 0.02 & 5     & 0.02 & 6     & 0.03 & 20    & 0.11 & 148   & 0.00446 \\
    A & 0     & 0.00 & 0     & 0.00 & 0     & 0.00 & 0     & 0.00 & 3     & 0.01 & 1     & 0.01 & 4     & 0.01 & 9     & 0.04 & 30    & 0.16 & 73    & 0.0022 \\
    A & 0     & 0.00 & 0     & 0.00 & 3     & 0.02 & 4     & 0.02 & 7     & 0.03 & 14    & 0.07 & 67    & 0.22 & 100   & 0.42 & 118   & 0.63 & 243   & 0.00732 \\
\bottomrule
\end{tabular}%
\end{adjustbox}}
\end{table}

You can resize it using \resizebox{<width>}{<height>} from the graphics package. \usepackage{adjustbox} used to rotate table

Please don't use \resizebox for elements that contain text. This will result in a suboptimal choice of character shapes, see also https://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/425453/why-not-scale-elements-that-contain-text — samcarter_is_at_topanswers.xyz, Dec 17 '18 at 14:05

How to fit a table to page width by changing font size?

2 Answers2