# Latex Table goes outside page width

A mimimal working example of what I am facing right now:

\begin{table}
\centering

\begin{tabular}{|c|c|c|c|c|c|c|}
\hline
\multicolumn{1}{p{2cm}}{\centering Mass ($h^{-1}\;M_{\odot}$)}
& \multicolumn{1}{p{2cm}}{\centering $z$}
& \multicolumn{1}{p{2cm}}{\centering $r_{0}$} &
$\gamma$ & $r_{0} \: (\gamma=2.0)$ & $N_{clusters}$ & bias \\
\hline
$M_{halo}>2\times10^{13}$ & $0.1<z_c<0.4$ & 9.89$\pm$0.20 & 1.76$\pm$0.05
& 9.53$\pm$0.29 & 10492 & 1.81$\pm$0.03 \\ [1ex]
& $0.4<z_c<0.7$ & 10.22$\pm$0.14 & 1.84$\pm$0.04 & 10.01$\pm$0.17 & 27224 & 2.00$\pm$0.03 \\ [1ex]
& $0.7<z_c<1.0$ & 11.10$\pm$0.15 & 1.87$\pm$0.04 & 10.85$\pm$0.17 & 35133 & 2.52$\pm$0.02 \\ [1ex]
& $1.0<z_c<1.3$ & 11.62$\pm$0.23 & 1.98$\pm$0.05 & 11.58$\pm$0.19 & 31815 & 3.01$\pm$0.06 \\ [1ex]
& $1.3<z_c<1.6$ & 12.41$\pm$0.42 & 2.13$\pm$0.09 & 12.49$\pm$0.52 & 22978 & 3.37$\pm$0.19 \\ [1ex]
& $1.6<z_c<2.1$ & 14.78$\pm$0.21 & 2.06$\pm$0.05 & 14.78$\pm$0.22 & 18931 & 4.65$\pm$0.23 \\ [1ex] \hline \noalign{\vskip 0.1cm}

\end{tabular}

\caption{The best-fit values of the parameters of the real-space correlation function $\xi(r)$ for the light-cone at different (1) mass thresholds and (2) redshift ranges. For each sample we quote (3) the correlation length $r_{0}$, (4) slope $\gamma$, (5) correlation length $r_{0}$ at fixed slope $\gamma=2.0$, (6) number of clusters $N_{clusters}$ and (7) the bias $b$ obtained.}
\label{table:clustering_with_mass}

\end{table}


and my table ends up going outside the specified page width, which looks like this.

I checked several answers of using tabularx etc, but they don't seem to work fine.

• What about rotating the table into landscape orientation? (rotating package, sidewaystable environment.) – GuM Jun 10 '16 at 11:40
• @GustavoMezzetti That's a nice suggestion. So I just say \usepackage{rotating} and call the table as \begin{sidewaystable} ? – ThePredator Jun 10 '16 at 11:42
• @ThePredator: Exactly: replace \begin{table}...\end{table} with \begin{sidewaystable}...\end{ssidewaystable}. – GuM Jun 10 '16 at 11:44
• If the mass doesn't change at all, you could drop that whole column, and state the value in the caption. – Torbjørn T. Jun 10 '16 at 12:02

## 3 Answers

If you need to keep the table in portrait orientation, I would suggest that

• you set the length parameters \thickmuskip and \medmuskip to 0mu;

• simplify the structure of the second column;

• get rid of the fixed-width header cell definitions;

• use a tabular* environment instead of the tabular environment; and

• switch from \normalsize to \small.

\documentclass{report}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{booktabs}

\begin{document}
\begin{table}
\setlength\tabcolsep{0pt}
\setlength\thickmuskip{0mu}
\setlength\medmuskip{0mu}
\small
\begin{tabular*}{\textwidth}{c@{\extracolsep{\fill}}*{6}{c}}
\toprule
Mass  & $z_c$ & $r_{0}$ & $\gamma$
& $r_{0}$ ($\gamma=2.0$) & $N_{\textrm{clusters}}$ & bias \\
($h^{-1}M_{\odot}$)\\
\midrule
$M_{\textrm{halo}}>2\times10^{13}$ & $0.1\text{--}0.4$ & 9.89$\pm$0.20 & 1.76$\pm$0.05 & 9.53$\pm$0.29 & 10492 & 1.81$\pm$0.03 \\ \addlinespace
& $0.4\text{--}0.7$ & 10.22$\pm$0.14 & 1.84$\pm$0.04 & 10.01$\pm$0.17 & 27224 & 2.00$\pm$0.03 \\ \addlinespace
& $0.7\text{--}1.0$ & 11.10$\pm$0.15 & 1.87$\pm$0.04 & 10.85$\pm$0.17 & 35133 & 2.52$\pm$0.02 \\ \addlinespace
& $1.0\text{--}1.3$ & 11.62$\pm$0.23 & 1.98$\pm$0.05 & 11.58$\pm$0.19 & 31815 & 3.01$\pm$0.06 \\ \addlinespace
& $1.3\text{--}1.6$ & 12.41$\pm$0.42 & 2.13$\pm$0.09 & 12.49$\pm$0.52 & 22978 & 3.37$\pm$0.19 \\ \addlinespace
& $1.6\text{--}2.1$ & 14.78$\pm$0.21 & 2.06$\pm$0.05 & 14.78$\pm$0.22 & 18931 & 4.65$\pm$0.23 \\
\bottomrule

\end{tabular*}

\caption[The best-fit values of the parameters of the real-space correlation function $\xi(r)$]{The best-fit values of the parameters of the real-space correlation function $\xi(r)$ for the light-cone at different (1)~mass thresholds and (2)~redshift ranges. For each sample we quote (3)~the correlation length $r_{0}$, (4)~slope $\gamma$, (5)~correlation length $r_{0}$ at fixed slope $\gamma=2.0$, (6)~number of clusters $N_{\textrm{clusters}}$, and (7)~the bias $b$ obtained.}
\label{table:clustering_with_mass}

\end{table}
\end{document}

• I get an error: ! Illegal unit of measure (pt inserted). <to be read again> m l.431 \setlength\thickmuskip{0mu – ThePredator Jun 10 '16 at 12:20
• @ThePredator - Hmmm, I'm afraid I get no such error message when I compile this standalone MWE under pdfLaTeX. Please state which TeX distribution and which TeX format you use. Alternatively, did you apply some modifications to the code posted above? – Mico Jun 10 '16 at 12:27
• I did not apply any modification to the above code. I am using TeXMaker 4.1 to compile my file – ThePredator Jun 10 '16 at 12:40
• @ThePredator - TeXMaker is a front-end to a TeX distribution, but not the TeX compiler. Do you have TeXLive or MiKTeX on your system? If so, of which vintage? Does the MWE itself compile on your system? (The error message you reported earlier refers to line 431 of some file: clearly, the MWE I posted doesn't have 431 lines.) Are you loading both the amsmath and the booktabs packages in your real document? – Mico Jun 10 '16 at 13:55

This, on the other hand, is the solution with the rotated table. I have also tidied up your code a bit.

% My standard header for TeX.SX answers:
\documentclass[a4paper]{article} % To avoid confusion, let us explicitly
% declare the paper format.

\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}         % Not always necessary, but recommended.
% End of standard header.  What follows pertains to the problem at hand.

\usepackage{rotating,booktabs,amstext}
\usepackage{lipsum}

\begin{document}

\lipsum[1-4]

\begin{sidewaystable}
\centering
\begin{tabular}{*{7}c}
\toprule
\multicolumn{1}{p{2cm}}{\centering Mass ($h^{-1}\;M_{\odot}$)}
& \multicolumn{1}{p{2cm}}{\centering $z$}
& \multicolumn{1}{p{2cm}}{\centering $r_{0}$} &
$\gamma$ & $r_{0} \: (\gamma=2.0)$ & $N_{\text{clusters}}$ & bias \\
\midrule
$M_{halo}>2\times10^{13}$ & $0.1<z_c<0.4$ & 9.89$\pm$0.20 & 1.76$\pm$0.05
& 9.53$\pm$0.29 & 10492 & 1.81$\pm$0.03 \\ [1ex]
& $0.4<z_c<0.7$ & 10.22$\pm$0.14 & 1.84$\pm$0.04 & 10.01$\pm$0.17 & 27224 & 2.00$\pm$0.03 \\ [1ex]
& $0.7<z_c<1.0$ & 11.10$\pm$0.15 & 1.87$\pm$0.04 & 10.85$\pm$0.17 & 35133 & 2.52$\pm$0.02 \\ [1ex]
& $1.0<z_c<1.3$ & 11.62$\pm$0.23 & 1.98$\pm$0.05 & 11.58$\pm$0.19 & 31815 & 3.01$\pm$0.06 \\ [1ex]
& $1.3<z_c<1.6$ & 12.41$\pm$0.42 & 2.13$\pm$0.09 & 12.49$\pm$0.52 & 22978 & 3.37$\pm$0.19 \\ [1ex]
& $1.6<z_c<2.1$ & 14.78$\pm$0.21 & 2.06$\pm$0.05 & 14.78$\pm$0.22 & 18931 & 4.65$\pm$0.23 \\ [1ex]
\bottomrule
\end{tabular}
\smallskip
\caption[A short caption for the LOT\@]
{The best-fit values of the parameters of the real-space correlation
function~$\xi(r)$ for the light-cone at different (1)~mass thresholds
and (2)~redshift ranges.  For each sample we quote (3)~the correlation
length~$r_{0}$, (4)~slope~$\gamma$, (5)~correlation length~$r_{0}$ at
fixed slope $\gamma=2.0$, (6)~number of clusters $N_{\text{clusters}}$
and (7)~the bias~$b$ obtained.}
\label{table:clustering_with_mass}
\end{sidewaystable}

\lipsum[5-8]

\end{document}


The image of the page that contains the table follows:

It can fit text width, if you use \small fontsize and if you make the contents of the first cell in the second row (M_halo) a subtitle, on a row of its own. Her is a code, with some improvements to the table and simpler code. In particular, I use an array environment, and keep only some horizontal rules, thnaks to the booktabs package:

\documentclass[a4paper,11pt]{article}

\usepackage[showframe]{geometry}%
\usepackage{booktabs}
\usepackage{array, tabularx, makecell}
\usepackage{siunitx}

\begin{document}

\begin{table}
\centering
\small\setlength\extrarowheight{1ex}%
$\begin{array}{ccrrrcc} \makecell{\text{Mass}\\ (h⁻¹\;M_{\odot})} & z & \makecell{r_{0}} & \makecell{γ} & \makecell{r_{0} \: (\gamma=2.0)} & N_\text{clusters} & \text{bias} \\ \midrule[\heavyrulewidth] \multicolumn{7}{l}{M_\text{halo}>2 × 10^{13}}\\[0.5ex] & 0.1<z_c<0.4 & 9.89 ±0.20 & 1.76 ±0.05 & 9.53 ±0.29 & 10492 & 1.81 ±0.03 \\ & 0.4<z_c<0.7 & 10.22 ±0.14 & 1.84 ±0.04 & 10.01 ±0.17 & 27224 & 2.00 ±0.03 \\ & 0.7<z_c<1.0 & 11.10 ±0.15 & 1.87 ±0.04 & 10.85 ±0.17 & 35133 & 2.52 ±0.02 \\ & 1.0<z_c<1.3 & 11.62 ±0.23 & 1.98 ±0.05 & 11.58 ±0.19 & 31815 & 3.01 ±0.06 \\ & 1.3<z_c<1.6 & 12.41 ±0.42 & 2.13 ±0.09 & 12.49 ±0.52 & 22978 & 3.37 ±0.19 \\ & 1.6<z_c<2.1 & 14.78 ±0.21 & 2.06 ±0.05 & 14.78 ±0.22 & 18931 & 4.65 ±0.23 \\ \bottomrule \end{array}$%
\caption{The best-fit values of the parameters of the real-space correlation function $ξ(r)$ for the light-cone at different (1) mass thresholds and (2) redshift ranges. For each sample we quote (3) the correlation length $r_{0}$, (4) slope $\gamma$, (5) correlation length $r_{0}$ at fixed slope $\gamma=2.0$, (6) number of clusters $N_{clusters}$ and (7) the bias $b$ obtained.}
\label{table:clustering_with_mass}
\end{table}

\end{document}


• +1 for the use of an array environment. You may want to get replace the unicode symbols (e.g., ± and ⁻¹) with LaTeX macros, though. – Mico Jun 10 '16 at 12:31