Column rules - Tables and figures - Part III. Style 20 spelling

A manual for writers of research papers, theses, and dissertations, 7th edition - Kate L. Turabian 2007

Column rules
Tables and figures
Part III. Style 20 spelling

Rules separate different types of data and text. Too many rules create a confusing image, so use them sparingly and consistently (see also 8.3.2).

Insert full-width horizontal rules to separate the title from the column heads (see 26.2.4), the column heads from the body of the table, and the body of the table from footnotes. A rule above a row of totals is traditional but not essential. Two-column tables within the text are best set with no rules, as long as the column heads are set off typographically.

Use partial-width horizontal rules to indicate which column heads and columns are governed by special types of heads, if you use them (see 26.2.4, table 26.2).

Leave enough space between columns to avoid using internal vertical or other horizontal rules. Do not use vertical rules to enclose the table in a box. For a long and narrow table positioned in side-by-side format (see 26.1.2), however, use a vertical rule to separate the two halves.

Avoid using shading in place of rules, except in long or complex tables (see 8.3.2). Also avoid color. Even if you print the paper on a color printer, it may be printed or copied later on a black-and-white machine, and if it is a dissertation, it may be microfilmed. Shading and color do not reproduce well in any of these forms. If you use shading, make sure it does not obscure the text of the table, and do not use multiple shades, which might not reproduce distinctly.