Formatting Issues

How to Fix Word Lists of Tables and Figures When Printing or Exporting to PDF

Adam Davis Oct 9, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user is experiencing split or incorrectly formatted Lists of Tables and Figures when attempting to print a Word document or export it to a PDF file.

How to Fix Word Lists of Tables and Figures When Printing or Exporting to PDF

Product: Microsoft Word
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Finalizing a document layout for printing or saving it as a PDF.
Observed behavior: The List of Tables and List of Figures become misaligned, split across pages, or lose their formatting during the print or export process.

Before you start

Before modifying your lists, click the Show/Hide ¶ button (Ctrl+Shift+8) on the Home tab to display formatting marks. This will help you easily identify problematic page breaks, section breaks, and rogue field codes that might be splitting your lists.

Solution 1Recommended

Update Field Codes and Correct Caption Styles

Manually updating your lists and ensuring consistent caption styles will resolve most formatting inconsistencies that occur during PDF export.

Microsoft Word automatically updates fields right before printing or exporting. If your document contains hidden section breaks or mismatched caption styles, these background updates will corrupt the layout of your lists.

Update the Lists

Right-click anywhere inside the List of Tables or List of Figures and select 'Update Field', then choose 'Update entire table'.

Check Caption Styles

Navigate to the Home tab and open the Styles pane. Ensure every caption in your document is formatted using the built-in 'Caption' style and uses the correct label (Table or Figure).

Review Formatting Marks

With formatting marks visible, scan the areas directly above and below your lists. Delete any manual page breaks or section breaks that might force the lists to split unexpectedly.

Export to PDF

Go to File > Save As, choose PDF from the dropdown menu, and save the document. Review the generated PDF to confirm the lists maintained their proper formatting.

Update Field Codes and Correct Caption Styles

Maintain Separate Lists: Word maintains separate lists for tables and figures by default. Avoid combining them unless you intentionally modify the field code parameters, as doing so often leads to formatting errors.

Solution 2

Adjust Pagination Settings to Prevent List Splitting

If your lists are breaking across pages incorrectly when printing, adjusting the paragraph pagination settings will force the text to stay together.

Format and Export Lists Flawlessly with WPS Writer

WPS Writer provides a highly stable environment for managing complex documents. You can easily generate, format, and export Lists of Tables and Figures to PDF without the layout breaking or splitting during the conversion process.

1. Open your Document: Launch WPS Writer and open your existing .docx file.
2. Insert or Update Lists: Navigate to the References tab to easily manage and update your Table of Figures without complex field code conflicts.
3. Export Directly to PDF: Click Menu > Export to PDF for a perfectly formatted document that looks exactly as it does on your screen.

Seamless format compatibility with Microsoft Word (.docx)Highly stable built-in PDF export toolIntuitive layout and paragraph pagination controlFree and lightweight alternative to Microsoft Office

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why do my Lists of Tables and Figures change formatting when saved as PDF?

When Word saves a document as a PDF, it automatically triggers a field update in the background. If there are conflicting paragraph styles, hidden section breaks, or incorrect caption labels within your document, these underlying errors are revealed during the export process.

How do I stop my List of Tables from splitting across two pages?

Highlight your list, right-click to open the Paragraph settings menu, and navigate to the Line and Page Breaks tab. Check the 'Keep lines together' and 'Keep with next' options to prevent the list from breaking awkwardly across pages.

Can I combine a List of Tables and a List of Figures into one list?

While it is technically possible by manually modifying the field codes to include multiple SEQ identifiers, it is not recommended for standard use. Keeping them as separate lists prevents synchronization issues and formatting errors when printing or exporting.

Document & File Issues