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Excel - Master the Shrink to Fit Setting in Excel | Excel Tutorial - Episode 586

804 views · Published 22 June 2009 · 2:32 · Indexed 20 September 2026

Channel: MrExcel.com · 2009 · Education

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Microsoft Excel Tutorial: Shrink to Fit Setting in Excel.

Hey, fellow spreadsheet enthusiasts! Bill Jelen here, welcoming you back to another MrExcel netcast. 🎙️ Yesterday, we received an intriguing question from Ron in Dallas regarding Excel forms and potential data overflow.

🤔 Ron's challenge: How can we ensure that users don't input excessive text in a merge field, risking valuable information getting cut off when printing the form?

🚫 Yesterday, I explored the option of using data validation and custom text length. However, the drawback was evident—they only realized it was too long after hitting Enter, which could lead to laptop-smashing frustrations!

🌟 Today, I present a better solution: 'Shrink to Fit.' Here's how it works:
1️⃣ Allow users to type freely in the form.
2️⃣ While designing the format, go to Format, Cells.
3️⃣ Navigate to the Alignment tab and check the magical 'Shrink to Fit' setting.

👉 'Shrink to Fit' adjusts the font size if the entered text exceeds the field length. This ensures that when you print the form, you capture every crucial detail, even in those longer inputs.

🖨️ No more worries about losing information when it spills over a bit. It's like magic!

👍 Forget the limitations of data validation and embrace 'Shrink to Fit' for a seamless user experience. This solution adapts to various lengths, maintaining readability without sacrificing crucial details.

👀 Watch the demonstration to see the difference.

🙏 Thanks for tuning in! If you have your own Excel conundrum, drop me a note at [email protected] or leave a voicemail, and we might feature your question in a future podcast.

👋 Until next time, stay Excel-lent! 🚀📊 #ExcelTips #ShrinkToFit #DataManagement #MrExcelNetcast"

Here is another solution to Episode 585: Instead of trying to limit how much data the person can type into a field, you can use the Shrink to Fit setting to reduce the font size to allow all of your information to appear. Episode 586 shows you how.

This blog is the video podcast companion to the book, Learn Excel from MrExcel. Download a new two minute video every workday to learn one of the 277 tips from the book!

Table of Contents:
(00:00) Introduction
(00:18) Question from Ron: issue with form in Excel
(00:30) Attempted solution with data validation
(00:40) Better solution using "shrink to fit"
(01:05) Example of "shrink to fit" in action
(01:30) Explanation of "shrink to fit"
(02:00) Clicking Like really helps the algorithm

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