Microsoft Knowledge Base

WINDOWS   | MACINTOSH

The information in this article applies to:

• Microsoft Excel for Windows, version 5.0
• Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, version 5.0
• Microsoft Excel for Windows 95, version 7.0

SUMMARY

In Microsoft Excel, when you format text that is contained in a text box that is linked to a worksheet cell, note the following rules:

• The text cannot be formatted in the text box itself. Instead, you must format the cell where the text originates.

  -and-

• The text box will use only the formatting applied to the first character in the cell. Formatting applied to subsequent characters does not affect the text in the text box.

MORE INFORMATION

In Microsoft Excel, you can create a link between a text box and a cell in a worksheet. When you do this, the text in the cell will also appear in the text box.

When you create a link this way, you cannot directly format the text in the text box. Instead, you must format the text in the cell that the text box is linked to. Because the text only uses the formatting of the first character in the cell, it is not possible to apply different formats to different parts of the text box when there is a link.

When you create a text box that is not linked to a cell in a worksheet, you can apply any desired formats to any characters in the text box.

Steps to Reproduce Behavior

1. In cell A1 of a new worksheet, type the following:

         Alpha Bravo Charlie Delta
   

2. Click the Text Box tool and create a text box on the worksheet.

3. Select the text box and click the Formula bar.

4. In the Formula bar, type "=A1" (without the quotation marks) and press ENTER to create a link.

1. Double-click cell A1 to edit the text directly in the cell.

2. Select the first A in Alpha.

3. From the Format menu, choose Cells.

4. Change the Font Size to 20 and select Bold Italic from the Font Style list box. Choose OK to accept the change.

5. Press ENTER.

REFERENCES

"User's Guide 1," version 5.0, Chapter 13, "Text Boxes"