Excel is a popular spreadsheet tool for analyzing and organizing datasets. Users can prepare comprehensive reports and visually appealing presentations.
In this quick guide, we will learn how to insert text box in Excel.
Text boxes in Excel can be used to insert information in a specific place in your workbook. They are basically square or rectangular compartments where you can add notes, explanations, and labels to your data.
Now, without any further ado, let us learn how to insert and format a text box in Excel.
Different Methods to Insert A Text Box in Excel
Inserting a text box in Excel is as easy as pie. Anyone from beginners to experts can follow the steps below to add a text box to a spreadsheet.
There are different methods of performing this task, which we will discuss one by one in the following sections.
You can download the Excel file including the Text Box created by us for reference while moving down the steps to insert one. Click Here!
METHOD #1 – USING THE TEXT BOX TOOL
This is the most preferred method compared to the next one discussed below. Also, it is the quickest one.
Let’s start,
- Open the desired Excel worksheet
- Go to the “Insert” tab from the main menu
- Select “Tool Box” from the Text section as shown below
- Next, click and drag to draw the text box of your desired size in your sheet
- To add text, click on the cursor inside the text box and start writing
Voila! You have inserted a textbox in Excel in no time. You can even move your textbox on your worksheet.
To do it, move your cursor to the border of your textbox until it changes to a four-sided arrow. Next, click and hold the left mouse button and drag it to the desired location, as shown in the GIF below.
It will not affect your data or the formatting since text boxes are not attached to any of the cells in the workbook.
Keyboard Shortcut to Insert a Textbox
Instead of following the above steps, you can use the keyboard shortcut “Alt +N +X“ to insert a textbox in your worksheet.
METHOD #2 – USING THE SHAPES TOOL
In this method, we create a shape and then convert it to a text box. It is also easy, just like the above one.
Let’s see how to do this:
- Open the desired Excel worksheet
- Hover over the “Insert” tab in the main menu
- In the “Illustrations” section, click on the “Shapes” dropdown
- Select “Textbox” from the list of shapes
- Now, click and drag the mouse to draw the textbox
- To add text, double-click inside the textbox and start writing your text
That’s it! This is how you insert a textbox using the Shapes tool in Excel. If you wish to add multiple boxes to your spreadsheet, then copy the existing ones using keyboard shortcuts or follow the steps above.
Here’s how to insert the text boxes in Excel.
How to change the formatting of the Text Box in Excel
You can edit the text box by double-clicking it. Once you double-click, the Drawing window popup will appear, including many options for formatting the text box.
Resizing the Shape
Resizing a text box is pretty straightforward. You can left-click on the circles and drag them according to your preference.
Another method to resize a text box is as follows,
- Open the desired Excel spreadsheet
- Select the Textbox in the workbook
- Click on the “Shape Format” tab from the main menu
(Note that the Shape Format option appears only when you click on any shape available in the sheet) - In the Size group, you can change the width and length of your text box, as shown below
Resizing the textbox using the circles is the method you prefer.
Formatting the Line Style
Changing the textbox’s line style can impact its overall appearance and readability. You can also change the style to dotted or dashed lines, solid lines, colored lines, etc.
Let’s see how to do it,
- Go to the “Shape Format” tab from the main menu
- Click on the “Shape Outline” box
- Choose a Line Style in the Shape Outline Color box
- Use the “Weight”, “Sketched”, and “Dashes” options to adjust the line style
Formatting the Font Style
Sometimes, you may need to change the font style of the inserted text.
Here are the steps,
- Open the desired Excel spreadsheet where you have inserted the textbox
- Select the text inside the text box by double-clicking on it
- Hover to the main menu and click on the “Shapes Format” tab
- Go to the “WordArt Styles” group and choose a font style as shown
Excel has a variety of fonts that you can choose from.
Adjusting the Font Size
Adjusting the font size of your text in the textbox is very easy. It ensures highlighted text that increases the visual appeal of your document.
Here is how to do it,
- Open the desired Excel worksheet in which you have already inserted the textbox
- Highlight the entire text you want to adjust
- Go to the “Home” tab
- In the “Font” group, you will see the “Font Size” dropdown menu. Refer to the following image,
- Click on the dropdown arrow and select the desired font size, or type the font size directly into the box
You can also use the size dropdown option available above the textbox, which appears once you select the text, as shown in the GIF below.
You can also use the keyboard shortcut “Ctrl + Shift + >” to increase the font size and “Ctrl + Shift + <” to decrease the size.
How to Delete the Text Box in Excel
If you no longer wish to have the textbox in your worksheet, you can delete it by using the steps below,
- Open the desired Excel sheet containing your textbox
- Click on the border of the textbox to select it
- Press the “Delete” key on your keyboard
To Summarize: How To Insert Text Box In Excel
Adding a Textbox in Excel is very easy, as discussed in the article above.
I hope this article taught you all the bells and whistles of adding a text box in Excel.
Feel free to comment below if you are stuck or have any particular issue inserting a text box in Excel. We will answer all of your questions as soon as possible.
Also, make sure to explore our blog section for more tips and tricks on using Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets like a pro.