Excel: Wrap Text in Worksheet Cells

1. A few tricks to take you beyond the basics of Microsoft Office GCPS Tech Tips Microsoft Excel: Wrap Text in Worksheet Cells.

2. EXCEL: Wrap Text in Worksheet Cells Have you noticed that, if you type more numbers or letters than will fit into a cell, Excel continues across as many cells to the right as you need.

3. EXCEL: Wrap Text in Worksheet Cells That’s fine for that cell. But what happens when you put something into the next cell? Only the beginning of what you wrote in the previous cell is still visible.

4. EXCEL: Wrap Text in Worksheet Cells If you want all that you put into a cell to remain visible at all times, you need to tell Excel to wrap the text you are entering.

5. EXCEL: Wrap Text in Worksheet Cells To set a cell to wrap text, you place your cursor inside that cell...

6. EXCEL: Wrap Text in Worksheet Cells and press on the right button of your mouse. Insert here... a photograph of a hand pressing the right button on a mouse.

7. EXCEL: Wrap Text in Worksheet Cells That will open a list of things you can do to that cell.

8. EXCEL: Wrap Text in Worksheet Cells Click on “Format Cells.”

9. EXCEL: Wrap Text in Worksheet Cells That will open the “Format Cells” dialog box which has six tabs across the top.

10. EXCEL: Wrap Text in Worksheet Cells Click the “Alignment” tab.

11. EXCEL: Wrap Text in Worksheet Cells Under the “Text Control” section, you will see the “Wrap text” option.

12. EXCEL: Wrap Text in Worksheet Cells Click on “Wrap text.”

13. EXCEL: Wrap Text in Worksheet Cells Then click “OK.”

14. EXCEL: Wrap Text in Worksheet Cells After that, Excel will wrap the text in that cell... and... it will also increase the height of the cell row as much as is needed for the wrapped lines of text.

15. EXCEL: Wrap Text in Worksheet Cells There is also a shortcut to wrapping text. Instead of having to go to the “Format Cells” dialog box, you can hold down the “Alt” key and press “Enter” before your text exceeds the width of the cell. Insert here later... a photo of fingers on “Alt” and pressing “Enter.”

16. EXCEL: Wrap Text in Worksheet Cells This produces the same text wrapping in that cell without stopping and opening the “Format Cells” dialog box.

17. EXCEL: Wrap Text in Worksheet Cells A “Text Box” is different way to add text, titles, or section headings to a worksheet without disturbing the sizes and formatting of the cells in the worksheet.

18. EXCEL: Wrap Text in Worksheet Cells To create a “Text Box,” you first need to be sure your Drawing tool is displayed. Click on “View” at the top of your screen.

19. EXCEL: Wrap Text in Worksheet Cells In the list that drops down, find “Toolbars.” Place your cursor on “Toolbars” and it will drop down a list of types of toolbars.

20. EXCEL: Wrap Text in Worksheet Cells Click on “Drawing.”

21. EXCEL: Wrap Text in Worksheet Cells That will add the “Drawing” toolbar to your screen.

22. EXCEL: Wrap Text in Worksheet Cells Click on the little icon for “Text Box.”

23. EXCEL: Wrap Text in Worksheet Cells That will turn your cursor into a little cross. If you put that cross at one corner of the text box you want... and hold down the left button on your mouse... then drag that cursor to the opposite corner of your text box... and let up your mouse button...

24. EXCEL: Wrap Text in Worksheet Cells You will have a text box in which you can type a label, a title, a section heading, a comment, anything you like.

25. EXCEL: Wrap Text in Worksheet Cells You can resize that Text Box, move it, and format the text inside it separately from regular cell text. A Text Box is a very versatile tool.

26. EXCEL: Wrap Text in Worksheet Cells That’s all there is to it. Now, if you would like a copy of the step-by-step directions for wrapping text and using text boxes, just print this last page. Have fun with those little boxes!