What is grid layout?
Grid layout is an excellent design element to utilize when crafting your reports. It lends a lot of freedom and flexibility to those who wish to add more design to their reports. You can layer elements within single cells and align them to your liking, offering the flexibility to enhance various components with illustrative and descriptive designs.
Our Word template features a wide array of grid layout examples. Feel free to duplicate these directly into your report and tailor them as desired. You can download the document from our Resources page, next to this guide.
However, should you prefer to create a grid of your own, continue reading this guide.
Using the grid layout, you can insert various design elements into your reports, including:
- KPIs
- Quotes
- Images
- Illustrations
- Body copy
- Charts
- Tables
Additionally, you have the flexibility to customize the grids by adjusting:
- Padding
- Gap between cells
- Background color of cells
- Cell size
- Alignment of content within the cells
Important to note:
Image Placement Guidelines
Images need to be confined within the dimensions of the cell they are placed in, ensuring they do not spill over the cell's edges. This is crucial because images that are larger than their designated cells can disrupt the responsiveness of reports when viewed on tablets or mobile devices.
Copying Grids
To copy grids, click on the content control label to select the entire grid and the elements inside. This ensures that you copy both the grid with its content control and not just the table inserted inside the content control or the elements within the cells.
Changing the Placeholder Content:
To replace illustrations, right-click on the image you wish to change, select “Change Picture” or “Change Graphic” and choose the most suitable option.
For body text, KPIs, and quotes, which contain free-flowing text, simply delete the existing content and add your own, either by typing directly or by pasting. When pasting, use the “Keep Text Only” or “Match Destination Formatting” option to ensure the formatting aligns with the specific design element (e.g., Quotes and KPIs have distinct style settings that should remain unchanged).
For other components like charts and tables, delete the existing ones using the backspace key and insert new ones as needed.