Automatically Adding Captions

Captions are often used in magazine and book publishing around specific items, such as figures or tables. For instance, you may want to include a caption for all your tables that says "Table" and then a number for the table, as in "Table 3." Word can automate this task for you by adding captions whenever you insert a table or some other object in your document.

To configure Word so it automatically adds captions, follow these steps:

1. Choose the Caption option from the Insert menu. Word displays the Caption dialog box. (Click here to see a related figure.)
2. Click on the AutoCaption button. Word displays the AutoCaption dialog box. (Click here to see a related figure.)
3. Search through the list of objects, placing a checkmark beside the one with which you want Word to automatically use captions. For instance, choose Microsoft Word Table if you want a caption associated with your tables.
4. Using the Use Label drop-down list, specify the word you want to appear at the beginning of the caption.
5. Using the Position drop-down list, specify where you want the caption to appear in relation to the object.
6. Click on OK.