When using C-x C-- or C-x C-+ to change display font size, table heading becomes misaligned. I've tracked down the problem to `org-table-separator-space` variable. The space inserted by it retains old size which skews alignment. Replacing it with " " via setq fixes it for a session. I tried to override it via `org-hook` and `orgtbl-mode-hook` but it somehow gets reset back to old value a first time I press C-c C-c to re-alight the table! You can see the screenshot here: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/54951495/org-mode-table-header-formatting-not-properly-aligned Emacs : GNU Emacs 25.2.2 (x86_64-pc-linux-gnu, GTK+ Version 3.22.21) of 2017-09-22, modified by Debian Package: Org mode version 9.2.2 (9.2.2-elpa @ /home/lord/.emacs.d/elpa/org-20190304/) current state: ============== (setq org-tab-first-hook '(org-babel-hide-result-toggle-maybe org-babel-header-arg-expand) org-speed-command-hook '(org-speed-command-activate org-babel-speed-command-activate) org-occur-hook '(org-first-headline-recenter) org-metaup-hook '(org-babel-load-in-session-maybe) org-log-done 'time org-confirm-shell-link-function 'yes-or-no-p org-from-is-user-regexp "\\" org-src-mode-hook '(org-src-babel-configure-edit-buffer org-src-mode-configure-edit-buffer) org-agenda-before-write-hook '(org-agenda-add-entry-text) org-babel-pre-tangle-hook '(save-buffer) org-mode-hook '(#[0 "\300\301\302\303\304$\207" [add-hook change-major-mode-hook org-show-all append local] 5] #[0 "\300\301\302\303\304$\207" [add-hook change-major-mode-hook org-babel-show-result-all append local] 5] org-babel-result-hide-spec org-babel-hide-all-hashes #[0 "\301\211\207" [imenu-create-index-function org-imenu-get-tree] 2] (lambda nil (org-bullets-mode 1)) (lambda nil (setq org-table-separator-space " "))) org-bibtex-headline-format-function #[257 "\300\236A\207" [:title] 3 "\n\n(fn ENTRY)"] org-archive-hook '(org-attach-archive-delete-maybe) org-cycle-hook '(org-cycle-hide-archived-subtrees org-cycle-show-empty-lines org-optimize-window-after-visibility-change) org-confirm-elisp-link-function 'yes-or-no-p org-metadown-hook '(org-babel-pop-to-session-maybe) org-link-parameters '(("id" :follow org-id-open) ("eww" :follow eww :store org-eww-store-link) ("rmail" :follow org-rmail-open :store org-rmail-store-link) ("mhe" :follow org-mhe-open :store org-mhe-store-link) ("irc" :follow org-irc-visit :store org-irc-store-link :export org-irc-export) ("info" :follow org-info-open :export org-info-export :store org-info-store-link) ("gnus" :follow org-gnus-open :store org-gnus-store-link) ("docview" :follow org-docview-open :export org-docview-export :store org-docview-store-link) ("bibtex" :follow org-bibtex-open :store org-bibtex-store-link) ("bbdb" :follow org-bbdb-open :export org-bbdb-export :complete org-bbdb-complete-link :store org-bbdb-store-link) ("w3m" :store org-w3m-store-link) ("file+sys") ("file+emacs") ("doi" :follow org--open-doi-link) ("elisp" :follow org--open-elisp-link) ("file" :complete org-file-complete-link) ("ftp" :follow (lambda (path) (browse-url (concat "ftp:" path)))) ("help" :follow org--open-help-link) ("http" :follow (lambda (path) (browse-url (concat "http:" path)))) ("https" :follow (lambda (path) (browse-url (concat "https:" path)))) ("mailto" :follow (lambda (path) (browse-url (concat "mailto:" path)))) ("news" :follow (lambda (path) (browse-url (concat "news:" path)))) ("shell" :follow org--open-shell-link)) org-agenda-files '("~/Dropbox/Notes/personal.org" "~/Dropbox/Notes/codeminders.org" "~/Dropbox/Notes/research.org") org-clock-out-hook '(org-clock-remove-empty-clock-drawer) ) -- "Hated by fools, and fools to hate, be that my motto and my fate" (Jonathan Swift)