Using Microsoft Excel regularly has taught me one thing: sheet readers hate to scroll back and forth on a dataset that could have otherwise been streamlined for easier reading.
This is where text rotation comes into play, as it helps fit text in headers, columns, and rows without taking up all the space on a sheet. If you’re looking for methods on how to rotate texts in Excel, you’ll find this tutorial handy as you’ll learn different, easy tricks to do just that.
Read on below to find out.
Rotating Texts in Excel
Method 1: Keyboard Shortcut
There is a combo of keys you can input to rotate texts in Excel. Albeit limited options-wise, you can use it only if it gives you the desired angle and if you’re always working on texts that need rotating.
The keyboard shortcut to use is – ALT + H + F + Q + O
Again, this method is not robust option-wise. So, you might fair better with the next method below.
Method 2: Ribbon Alignment
This method is most suitable for rotating the headings, the first row on a dataset. To use this method,
Highlight all the cells with the target texts in them
Click the Home tab on the left side of the top menu
Under the Alignment group, click on the orientation icon with a diagonal AB therein
In the next options, select Angle Counterclockwise
This method should rotate all the highlighted texts from earlier by 45 degrees. There are also the options such as Rotate Text Up and Angle Clock Wise in the Alignment tab. Use them at your discretion.
Method 3: Ribbon Format Cells Dialog Box
This method is pretty long and requires a few extra clicks into Excel settings. But you’d find it a lot handy as it gives you way more control over the orientation of your texts than the previous methods demonstrated.
Follow the steps below to use it:
Highlight the texts you need to reorientate
Again, click the Home tab on the left side of the top menu
Click on the orientation icon in the Alignment group
In the options that pop up next, navigate to and click on Format Cells Alignment
A new mini window will pop up. Go to the Alignment tab and navigate to the Orientation section
Under the Orientation section, enter the degrees by which you’ll like your texts to be rotated
Alternatively, you can drag the stick on the analog to set the desired angle for your texts
Click OK once you’re done
If you check back your previously highlighted texts, you’ll find them to be orientated by the angle you set in the Format Cells dialog. Admittedly, this method is longer, but it’s the aptest to use if you’re looking for precision in the angle by which your texts rotate on a sheet.
Final Notes
There you have it! The three easy methods you can use to rotate your texts in Excel. The keyboard shortcuts should do the trick just fine for most people, and the other two methods are for precision more than anything else. I do hope you find this tutorial helpful.
Ganiu is an astute technical writer with a special interest in gaming and Cryptocurrency. He is a PlayStation enthusiast whose passion lies in writing problem-solving articles.
