When it is ready to print a table, Quantum checks whether it needs to split the table and, if so, where. To do this it adds up the column widths and compares the amount of space needed with the amount of space available. Quantum adds each column width separately and checks the amount of space needed after each addition. As soon as the amount of space required exceeds the amount of space available, Quantum splits the table just before the current column. For example, if the sum of columns A, B, C and D exceeds the amount of space available, Quantum will split the table between columns C and D.

After a split, Quantum resets its counter to zero and starts counting again in case it is necessary to split the heading more than once.

If you convert tables for printing on a PostScript printer, the size of the font you use might make it possible to fit more columns on the page than in the standard format. Information on fonts is not available to Quantum at the time it formats the tables so it always splits tables as if they were to be printed in the standard format.

For information about how Quantum paginates split tables, see Pagination.