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Excel - 3 Solutions to Display Long Data | Shrink to Fit, Wrap Text, & AutoFit - Episode 617

453 views · Published 31 March 2009 · 3:32 · Indexed 20 September 2026

Channel: MrExcel.com · 2009 · Education

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Microsoft Excel Tutorial: 3 Solutions to Display Long Data | Shrink to Fit, Wrap Text, & AutoFit.

Welcome back to the MrExcel netcast! In this video, we will be discussing some alternatives to displaying long data in Excel. Yesterday, we received a question from Ethan about how to show long data in column B while optionally erasing data in column C. While there may be a reason why Ethan couldn't use these methods, we will be going through some simple solutions that may work for others facing a similar issue.

The first solution is to simply make column B wider. By double-clicking between column B and C, the column will automatically adjust to fit the longest value. However, this may not work if there are extremely long values in the data. In that case, we can select all of column B and go to the format cells option (CTRL+1). On the alignment tab, there is a setting called "shrink to fit" which will automatically adjust the font size to fit the data. This way, we can still see all of the data in column B while also having the data in column C.

Another option is to turn on wrap text in column B. This will create rows that are double the height in order to fit all of the data. However, the one downside to this is that the other columns will be aligned with the bottom of the cell. To fix this, we can select the other columns and change the vertical alignment to the top. This can be done by going to format cells and selecting the "vertical alignment" option. In Excel 2007, there is now an icon on the home ribbon for wrap text and vertical alignment, making it easier to use these features.

It's interesting to note that in Excel 2003, there was a research study that asked users if they wanted to make Excel better. By participating in this study, Microsoft was able to see which commands were used most frequently. As a result, in Excel 2007, they added the wrap text and vertical alignment icons to the home ribbon, making it more convenient for users. So, whether you choose to make the column wider, shrink to fit, or turn on wrap text, there are multiple options to display long data in Excel. Thanks for watching and be sure to check out our other netcasts for more Excel tips and tricks!

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In todays episode, I take a look at three non-macro solutions to solve Ethans long text problem. Episode 617 shows you Shrink to Fit, Wrap Text, and AutoFit.

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Table of Contents:
(00:00) Introduction
(00:20) Making column B wider
(00:30) Using "shrink to fit" option
(01:07) Turning on wrap text
(01:49) Aligning columns with top of cell
(02:26) Excel 2007's improved features
(02:58) Wrap text and vertical alignment options
(03:12) Clicking Like really helps the algorithm

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This video answers these common search terms:
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Excel 2007 features
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Top alignment
Vertical alignment
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Wrap Text icon


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