Formatting & Styling Overview

Customize the appearance of your table to match your brand, improve readability, and highlight key insights.

Four Levels of Formatting

SDM Cross Table Tool provides flexible formatting options organized into four levels:

1. Table Options (Basic Display)

Control how the table behaves and displays, including hover effects, row striping, freezing, and column visibility.

👉 Table Options Reference →

Key settings:

• Hover highlights
• Zebra striping
• Freeze panes
• Column visibility
• Display precision

2. Table Style Options (Predefined Themes)

Apply pre-configured professional themes with coordinated color palettes and styling.

👉 Table Style Options Reference →

Key settings:

• Style theme selection
• Color theme selection
• Cell text size
• Row title alignment

3. Tile Mode & Spacing (Card-Like Rendering)

Turn cells into detached tiles with rounded corners, shadows, configurable padding and column/row gaps. Works with any theme.

👉 Tile Mode Reference →

Key settings:

• Tile mode toggle
• Border radius and drop shadow
• Horizontal / vertical padding
• Tile width (auto-equalize or explicit)
• Column gaps (group, sub-group), sub-cell gap, row gap

4. Custom Element Formatting (Advanced Customization)

Fine-tune fonts, colors, and backgrounds for specific table elements: column headers, row headers, and data cells. Override toggles let you mix theme defaults with surgical custom tweaks on any style theme.

👉 Custom Element Formatting Reference →

Key settings:

• Top-level column header styling (Custom theme only)
• Sub-level column header styling (Custom theme only)
• Row header styling (any theme, via override toggle)
• Cell styling (any theme, via override toggle)
• Font families, sizes, weights
• Custom colors and backgrounds

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Quick Navigation

Need	Go to
Control table behavior	Table Options
Apply a professional theme	Styles
Card-like rendering, gaps between groups	Tile Mode
Override fonts on a predefined theme	Custom Formatting
Match brand colors	Custom Formatting
Accessibility guidance	Custom Formatting - Accessibility
Common configurations	Practical Examples

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Formatting Workflow

1. Choose a Style Theme
   ↓
2. Adjust Table Options for behavior
   ↓
3. (Optional) Enable Tile Mode for card-like rendering
   ↓
4. Fine-tune with Custom Formatting overrides (if needed)
   ↓
5. Test and iterate

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Best Practices

1. Start with a Theme: Use predefined styles as a base
2. Maintain Consistency: Keep formatting consistent across reports
3. Prioritize Readability: Clear data > beautiful design
4. Test Accessibility: Ensure sufficient color contrast
5. Consider Export: Some colors/fonts may change in Excel

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Where to Start

• New to formatting? → Start with Table Options
• Want to look professional quickly? → Go to Styles
• Want a card-like dashboard look? → Enable Tile Mode
• Need specific colors/fonts? → Jump to Custom Formatting
• Building for accessibility? → See Custom Formatting accessibility section