diff --git a/html_table_to_markdown.js b/html_table_to_markdown.js
index 3393da4..7a71183 100644
--- a/html_table_to_markdown.js
+++ b/html_table_to_markdown.js
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 const htmlEntities = require('html-entities');
+const justify = require('justify-text');
 
 module.exports = {
 
+	max_column_width: 20,
 	clean(str) {
 		str = str.replace(/<\/?[^>]+(>|$)/g, "");
 		str = str.replace(/(\r\n|\n|\r)/gm, "");
@@ -54,13 +56,20 @@ module.exports = {
 			for (let c=0;c<n_cols;c++) {
 				let l = items[r][c].length;
 				if (l>column_widths[c]) {
-					column_widths[c]=l;
+					if (l > this.max_column_width) {
+						column_widths[c] = this.max_column_width;
+					}
+					else {
+						column_widths[c] = l;
+					}
 				}
 			}
 		}
+
+		// justify
 		for (let r=0;r<n_rows;r++) {
 			for (let c=0;c<n_cols;c++) {
-				items[r][c] = items[r][c].padEnd(column_widths[c], " ");
+				items[r][c] = justify.ljust(items[r][c], column_widths[c], "");
 			}
 		}
 
diff --git a/node_modules/.package-lock.json b/node_modules/.package-lock.json
index 24f5ec8..f566c0c 100644
--- a/node_modules/.package-lock.json
+++ b/node_modules/.package-lock.json
@@ -645,6 +645,11 @@
         }
       }
     },
+    "node_modules/justify-text": {
+      "version": "1.1.3",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/justify-text/-/justify-text-1.1.3.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-iOZ295bkDRnbEx9a+g7zzTZQtBYS0KlsDYpVmCOc66af6ngaoJ4mXdo6ILbyW1HQYHEoIXh1wxJpoKCzzPMXSw=="
+    },
     "node_modules/levn": {
       "version": "0.3.0",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/levn/-/levn-0.3.0.tgz",
diff --git a/node_modules/justify-text/LICENSE b/node_modules/justify-text/LICENSE
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5339314
--- /dev/null
+++ b/node_modules/justify-text/LICENSE
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+MIT License
+
+Copyright (c) 2017 Julian Nicholls
+
+Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
+of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
+in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
+to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
+copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
+furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
+
+The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
+copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+
+THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
+IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
+FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
+AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
+LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
+OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
+SOFTWARE.
diff --git a/node_modules/justify-text/README.md b/node_modules/justify-text/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4b7c1bd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/node_modules/justify-text/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+# justify-text
+
+This is a simple module, which allows for left or right justifying text
+in a given width. The padding character can be specified, and it defaults
+to a space.
+
+Numbers are explicily handled now, so they do not need to be converted to
+a string before passing them to `ljust` or `rjust` any more.
+
+If the padding width specified is less than the length of the initial string,
+no truncation occurs.
+
+## Installation
+
+```
+npm install -S justify-text
+```
+
+or
+
+```
+yarn add justify-text
+```
+
+## Functions
+
+`ljust()` and `rjust()` take a string or number, a width to render it in,
+and an optional padding character, which is a space by default.
+
+``` js
+ljust(string, width, padding=' ')
+rjust(string, width, padding=' ')
+```
+
+### Usage
+
+``` js
+const { ljust, rjust } = require('justify-text');
+
+ljust('text', 7);
+// => "text   "
+
+ljust('text', 6, '0');
+// => "text00"
+
+rjust('text', 8);
+// => "    text"
+
+rjust('longtext', 7);
+// => "longtext", i.e. unchanged because it is already more than 7 characters
+
+rjust('text', 9, '.');
+// => ".....text"
+
+rjust(936, 5);
+// => "  936"
+
+ljust(780.25, 8);
+// => "780.25  "
+```
+
+## License
+
+MIT
diff --git a/node_modules/justify-text/index.d.ts b/node_modules/justify-text/index.d.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..47f2add
--- /dev/null
+++ b/node_modules/justify-text/index.d.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+declare module "justify-text" {
+  export function ljust(input: string | number, width: number, padding?: string);
+  export function rjust(input: string | number, width: number, padding?: string);
+}
diff --git a/node_modules/justify-text/index.js b/node_modules/justify-text/index.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e168484
--- /dev/null
+++ b/node_modules/justify-text/index.js
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+function padding(str, width, fillChar) {
+  const padBytes = width - str.length;
+  let padding = '';
+
+  for (let i = 0; i < padBytes; ++i) {
+    padding += fillChar;
+  }
+
+  return padding;
+}
+
+exports.ljust = function (str, width = 0, fillChar = ' ') {
+  str = String(str);
+
+  return str + padding(str, width, fillChar);
+};
+
+exports.rjust = function (str, width = 0, fillChar = ' ') {
+  str = String(str);
+
+  return padding(str, width, fillChar) + str;
+};
diff --git a/node_modules/justify-text/package.json b/node_modules/justify-text/package.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a6e9148
--- /dev/null
+++ b/node_modules/justify-text/package.json
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+{
+  "name": "justify-text",
+  "version": "1.1.3",
+  "description": "left or right justify text",
+  "main": "index.js",
+  "types": "index.d.ts",
+  "scripts": {
+    "test": "jest",
+    "prepublishOnly": "npm test"
+  },
+  "author": "Julian Nicholls",
+  "license": "MIT",
+  "repository": "https://github.com/JulianNicholls/npm-justify-text",
+  "devDependencies": {
+    "jest": "^26.4.0"
+  }
+}
diff --git a/node_modules/justify-text/test/index.test.js b/node_modules/justify-text/test/index.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fd0a7ba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/node_modules/justify-text/test/index.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,181 @@
+const { ljust, rjust } = require('../index');
+
+describe('ljust with strings', () => {
+  test('empty string', () => {
+    const str = ljust('', 5);
+
+    expect(str).toBe('     ');
+  });
+
+  test('empty string with no width specified', () => {
+    const str = ljust('');
+
+    expect(str).toBe('');
+  });
+
+  test('space padding', () => {
+    const str = ljust('one', 5);
+
+    expect(str).toBe('one  ');
+  });
+
+  test('character padding', () => {
+    const str = ljust('two', 7, 'x');
+
+    expect(str).toBe('twoxxxx');
+  });
+
+  test('No padding required', () => {
+    const str = ljust('three', 5);
+
+    expect(str).toBe('three');
+  });
+
+  test('No space for padding', () => {
+    const str = ljust('four', 3);
+
+    expect(str).toBe('four');
+  });
+});
+
+describe('ljust with integers', () => {
+  test('space padding', () => {
+    const str = ljust(999, 5);
+
+    expect(str).toBe('999  ');
+  });
+
+  test('character padding', () => {
+    const str = ljust(4867, 7, 'x');
+
+    expect(str).toBe('4867xxx');
+  });
+
+  test('No padding required', () => {
+    const str = ljust(789, 3);
+
+    expect(str).toBe('789');
+  });
+
+  test('No space for padding', () => {
+    const str = ljust(7890, 3);
+
+    expect(str).toBe('7890');
+  });
+});
+
+describe('ljust with non-integers', () => {
+  test('space padding', () => {
+    const str = ljust(999.8, 7);
+
+    expect(str).toBe('999.8  ');
+  });
+
+  test('character padding', () => {
+    const str = ljust(4867.3, 7, 'x');
+
+    expect(str).toBe('4867.3x');
+  });
+
+  test('No padding required', () => {
+    const str = ljust(789.5, 5);
+
+    expect(str).toBe('789.5');
+  });
+
+  test('No space for padding', () => {
+    const str = ljust(7890.123, 6);
+
+    expect(str).toBe('7890.123');
+  });
+});
+
+describe('rjust with strings', () => {
+  test('empty string', () => {
+    const str = rjust('', 4);
+
+    expect(str).toBe('    ');
+  });
+
+  test('empty string with no width specified', () => {
+    const str = rjust('');
+
+    expect(str).toBe('');
+  });
+
+  test('space padding', () => {
+    const str = rjust('one', 5);
+
+    expect(str).toBe('  one');
+  });
+
+  test('character padding', () => {
+    const str = rjust('two', 7, 'x');
+
+    expect(str).toBe('xxxxtwo');
+  });
+
+  test('No padding required', () => {
+    const str = rjust('three', 5);
+
+    expect(str).toBe('three');
+  });
+
+  test('No space for padding', () => {
+    const str = rjust('four', 3);
+
+    expect(str).toBe('four');
+  });
+});
+
+describe('rjust with integers', () => {
+  test('space padding', () => {
+    const str = rjust(999, 5);
+
+    expect(str).toBe('  999');
+  });
+
+  test('character padding', () => {
+    const str = rjust(4867, 7, 'x');
+
+    expect(str).toBe('xxx4867');
+  });
+
+  test('No padding required', () => {
+    const str = rjust(7890, 3);
+
+    expect(str).toBe('7890');
+  });
+
+  test('No space for padding', () => {
+    const str = rjust(78901, 3);
+
+    expect(str).toBe('78901');
+  });
+});
+
+describe('rjust with non-integers', () => {
+  test('space padding', () => {
+    const str = rjust(999.87, 7);
+
+    expect(str).toBe(' 999.87');
+  });
+
+  test('character padding', () => {
+    const str = rjust(486.3, 7, 'x');
+
+    expect(str).toBe('xx486.3');
+  });
+
+  test('No padding required', () => {
+    const str = rjust(789.58, 6);
+
+    expect(str).toBe('789.58');
+  });
+
+  test('No space for padding', () => {
+    const str = rjust(7890.1234, 7);
+
+    expect(str).toBe('7890.1234');
+  });
+});
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index fbb7642..fd26366 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
         "express-rate-limit": "^6.0.5",
         "html-entities": "^2.3.2",
         "jsdom": "^16.4.0",
+        "justify-text": "^1.1.3",
         "turndown": "^7.0.0",
         "url": "^0.11.0"
       }
@@ -660,6 +661,11 @@
         }
       }
     },
+    "node_modules/justify-text": {
+      "version": "1.1.3",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/justify-text/-/justify-text-1.1.3.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-iOZ295bkDRnbEx9a+g7zzTZQtBYS0KlsDYpVmCOc66af6ngaoJ4mXdo6ILbyW1HQYHEoIXh1wxJpoKCzzPMXSw=="
+    },
     "node_modules/levn": {
       "version": "0.3.0",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/levn/-/levn-0.3.0.tgz",
@@ -1661,6 +1667,11 @@
         "xml-name-validator": "^3.0.0"
       }
     },
+    "justify-text": {
+      "version": "1.1.3",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/justify-text/-/justify-text-1.1.3.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-iOZ295bkDRnbEx9a+g7zzTZQtBYS0KlsDYpVmCOc66af6ngaoJ4mXdo6ILbyW1HQYHEoIXh1wxJpoKCzzPMXSw=="
+    },
     "levn": {
       "version": "0.3.0",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/levn/-/levn-0.3.0.tgz",
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index b34f214..5082d47 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
     "express-rate-limit": "^6.0.5",
     "html-entities": "^2.3.2",
     "jsdom": "^16.4.0",
+    "justify-text": "^1.1.3",
     "turndown": "^7.0.0",
     "url": "^0.11.0"
   },