How to Create a Letter in Microsoft Excelby James Highland
The native grid structure of the Microsoft Excel program makes it well-suited to a variety of spreadsheet tasks. But Excel also boasts many other features that extend the reach of the software. The ability to manipulate graphics and text in Excel is comparable to the features of word processing applications. Many of the tools available in Microsoft Excel are identical to the commands offered in Microsoft Word, which is designed for text layouts. Thus it is possible to create a nicely formatted letter solely in Excel.
Display the "Drawing" toolbar. This may already be turned on by default. If it is not, click the "View" menu and choose the "Toolbars" submenu. Verify that a check mark is displayed next to the "Drawing" option in this submenu. If not, click on "Drawing" to turn it on.
Click the "Text Box" button on the "Drawing" toolbar. The toolbar may be positioned at the bottom of the Excel window. The "Text Box" button is a white square with a little letter "A" inside it. Once selected, the button will appear with a subtle shaded border around it to indicate the text box feature is activated.
Click and hold down the left mouse button in the upper left area of the spreadsheet, around the cell A1 area.
Drag with the mouse down and to the right. End at approximately the cell G30 area. Release the mouse. A text box will appear.
Type the letter inside this text box.
Format the letter using the standard word processing format buttons on the Format toolbar. These include commands for changing the font and font size, and for stylizing the font with bold, italics or underline. You may also adjust the text alignment and color choices. These features are identical to Microsoft Word and will be familiar to users with experience typing letters in that program.
- Remove the line border around the text box if desired. Click on the text box border to select it. Then click the "Line Color" button on the Drawing toolbar. Choose the "No Line" command in the "Line" button's menu. The text box border will disappear.