Text Columnizer
Rearrange a flat list into neatly aligned, space-padded columns with a choice of across-then-down or down-then-across fill order.
Fill order:
Result:
How to Use the Text Columnizer
Paste a flat list of items, one per line, choose how many columns you want, and pick a fill order — "Across then down" fills each row left to right before moving to the next row (row-major), while "Down then across" fills each column top to bottom before moving to the next column (column-major). The result is rearranged into a neatly aligned, space-padded grid in monospace font, ready to copy into a print-friendly layout.
Example
Items 1 through 6 arranged into 3 columns "Across then down" produce two rows: 1 2 3 then 4 5 6. The same items "Down then across" instead produce 1 3 5 then 2 4 6, since column 1 fills with 1 and 2 before moving to column 2.
Common Use Cases
- Laying out a list of names into columns for printed name badges.
- Arranging raffle ticket numbers or a numbered list into a compact printable grid.
- Preparing a long flat list (like a phone directory or index) for multi-column print formatting.
FAQs
- What's the difference between the two fill orders? "Across then down" (row-major) fills row 1 completely with the first few items before starting row 2, like reading order. "Down then across" (column-major) instead fills column 1 top-to-bottom first, then moves to column 2 — useful when items should read down each column, like a printed ballot or numbered list.
- Why does the output use monospace font? Monospace ensures every character takes up the same width, so the space-padded columns actually line up visually — with a variable-width font, the padding would look misaligned.
- What happens if the number of items doesn't divide evenly into columns? The last row (or column) is simply left with empty cells for the remainder — the layout still renders correctly, just with some blank spots at the end.