Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, Word in Microsoft 365, and 2021. If you are using an earlier version (Word 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Word, click here: Automatic Periods after a Caption.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated April 16, 2022)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, Word in Microsoft 365, and 2021
Ruchika is trying to add a period to the caption label used for tables. She wants her table caption to look like this: "Table 1.1. Example Table". She can configure the caption tool to use a period between the chapter number and the item number (1.1), but she can't find a way to put the period after the digits. Ruchika wonders if there is an automatic way to add the last period.
There is no way to add that second period that we can find. That means that if you must have the period, the only way to get it is to add it manually or (if you have enough captions to justify doing so) creating a macro to add the period.
You may want to look at the requirement to have the second period. Is it really necessary? If the requirement is specified by a professional organization or a publisher, you may want to talk with your contacts to see if it is possible to get the requirement relaxed so you can use the caption tool without the need for modification.
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (8474) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, Word in Microsoft 365, and 2021. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Automatic Periods after a Caption.
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Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, Word in Microsoft 365, and 2021. If you are using an earlier version (Word 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Word, click here:
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