Adding text boxes

Text boxes are a special type of graphic object that combines text with a rectangular graphic object (the only other objects that do this are the callouts that you insert from AutoShapes Callout pop-up menu). They are great for calling attention to significant trends or special features in the charts that you create. To create a text box, click the Text Box button on the Drawing toolbar and then drag the mouse pointer to draw the outline of the box. As soon as you release the mouse button, Excel places the insertion point in the upper-left corner of the box.

You can then start typing the text you want displayed in the text box. When the text you type reaches the right edge of the text box, Excel automatically starts a new line. If you reach the end of the text box and keep typing, Excel then scrolls the text up and you then have to resize the text box to display all the text you have entered. If you want to break the line before it reaches the right edge of the text box, you press the Enter key. When you finish entering the text, click anywhere on the screen outside of the text box to deselect.

Unlike other graphic objects in Excel, when you select text boxes, they only display sizing handles without any rotation handle (because Excel can't display text at just any angle you might select). Also, unlike other graphic objects, text boxes display two different border patterns when you select them:

• Single cross-hatched pattern when you click inside the text box, enabling you to format and edit the text (including deleting individual text characters)
• Double cross-hatched pattern when you click the border of the text box or start dragging the box to reposition it, indicating that you can format and edit the box itself (including deleting the text box along with all its text characters).