Web Design in a Nutshell, 3rd Edition

Horizontal alignment

The align attribute accepts the usual values left, right, center, and justify. Text is left-justified by default in left-to-right reading languages.

The align attribute also includes the char value that specifies that the table contents should be aligned on a specific character, such as a decimal point for a column of currency amounts. The character used for alignment is provided by the char attribute. The charoff attribute specifies the offset distance to the first alignment character. Although it’s a nifty idea, the char and charoff attributes are not supported by current browsers.

Alignment settings for individual cells (td or th) always override settings at the higher levels. Alignment set on elements within a cell (a p element, for example) override the cell’s alignment. If the table includes a col or colgroup, the align settings on the columns override any alignment applied to a row or row group element.