

This has options for alignment and grouping. When a text box is selected, a new Format ribbon tab is visible. This can be easier than starting a new text box. Press the arrow keys when a shape is selected to move it perfectly, horizontally or vertically.Ĭopying and pasting a text box creates an exact copy of the size. Hold the Shift key down to move a text box perfectly, horizontally or vertically. This allows you to perfectly line up and resize text boxes. This “snaps to” the gridlines on the sheet beneath. Hold the Alt key down as you resize or move the text box. This converts seven separate text boxes into a single object that can be easily moved and positioned anywhere on the sheet. Right-click on one of the selected text boxes and choose Group and Group – see Figure 05. Be careful not to move the text boxes as you click them. You can hold the Ctrl key down and use the mouse to click on each text box. To easily position them on a dashboard or report, we need to group them together. Using the same technique, I have added six more text boxes to contain headings and values – see Figure 04.Īt the moment, these are seven separate text boxes. If you change the linked cell reference from one cell to another, it resets any font settings, and you need to redo them. You can use the Alignment and Font icons on the Home ribbon to achieve this.
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In Figure 03, I have centred the text horizontally and vertically and added a black fill plus a white font. You can apply multiple formats to the linked text box, but not to individual words within the linked text box. To link a text box to a cell, have the text box selected, click in the Formula Bar and press = and then click the cell to link to and press Enter – see Figure 02. Then use the mouse to draw the text box above the sheet grid. To insert a text box, click the Insert ribbon and click the Text Box icon on the far right. The formulas are explained in the companion video to this article. There is a drop-down in cell A3 that allows you to choose a different comparison figure from the list below. In Figure 01, we have the sheet structure that we will use to create a group of text boxes to display on a report or dashboard. You can insert a default text box in the middle of the sheet by pressing in sequence Alt N X. You can use grouping to combine multiple text boxes to get the best of both worlds. Normal text boxes allow you to apply multiple formats to individual parts of the text. You can only apply formats to the whole text box. This means you can use formulas and functions in a cell to create a dynamic heading, sentence or calculation, and then have the freedom to place it anywhere on the sheet. create large, prominent numbers for dashboardsĪ text box can be linked to a cell.remove the fill colour and make it transparent.remove its border so it looks better on a dashboard.add instructions to specific areas of a sheet.Text boxes are independent of the Excel grid, and can be positioned anywhere on the sheet.
