Gwinnett County Public Schools
GCPS Tech Tips
A few tricks to take you beyond
the basics of Microsoft Office 2007
Microsoft Excel 2007:
Wrap Text in Worksheet Cells.
EXCEL 2007: 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.
EXCEL 2007: 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.
EXCEL 2007: 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.
EXCEL 2007: Wrap Text in Worksheet Cells
To set a cell to wrap text, you place your cursor
inside that cell...
EXCEL 2007: Wrap Text in Worksheet Cells
and press on the right button of your mouse.
EXCEL 2007: Wrap Text in Worksheet Cells
That will open a list of things
you can do to that cell.
EXCEL 2007: Wrap Text in Worksheet Cells
Click on “Format Cells.”
EXCEL 2007: Wrap Text in Worksheet Cells
That will open the “Format Cells” dialog box
which has six tabs across the top.
EXCEL 2007: Wrap Text in Worksheet Cells
Click the “Alignment” tab.
EXCEL 2007: Wrap Text in Worksheet Cells
Under the “Text Control” section,
you will see the “Wrap text” option.
EXCEL 2007: Wrap Text in Worksheet Cells
Click on “Wrap text.”
EXCEL 2007: Wrap Text in Worksheet Cells
Then click “OK.”
EXCEL 2007: 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.
EXCEL 2007: Wrap Text in Worksheet Cells
Insert here later... a
photo of fingers on
“Alt” and pressing
“Enter.”
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.
EXCEL 2007: Wrap Text in Worksheet Cells
This produces the same text wrapping in that cell
without stopping and opening the “Format
Cells” dialog box.
EXCEL 2007: 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.
EXCEL 2007: Wrap Text in Worksheet Cells
To create a “Text Box,” click on the Insert tab at
the top of your screen.
EXCEL 2007: Wrap Text in Worksheet Cells
Click on the icon for “Text Box.”
EXCEL 2007: 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...
EXCEL 2007: 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.
EXCEL 2007: 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.
EXCEL 2007: 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 in Excel 2007, just print this last
page. Have fun with those little boxes!
To wrap text:
- Place your cursor inside the cell
where you want the text to wrap.
- Press the right button on your
mouse to open an options list.
- Click on “Format Cells” on option list.
- In the “Format Cells” dialog box,
click on the “Alignment” tab.
- Put a check mark next to “Wrap text.”
- Click “OK.”
Short cut to wrap text:
- Place your cursor inside the cell
where you want the text to wrap.
- Hold down the “Alt” key and
press “Enter.”
Making a Text Box:
- Click on the “Insert” tab at the top of the
screen.
- Click on the icon for a “Text Box.”
- Put the little cross cursor at one
corner of the box you want and hold
down the left mouse button.
- Pull the little cross to the opposite
corner of the box and click there.
- Type in your text and format it
as you like.