Fitting Your Text In a Cell

Beginning with Word 2000, Microsoft added an odd little feature that allows you to force text to fit within a single line of a table's cell. It does this by decreasing the apparent size of the text so that everything fits. It does this without (according to some Microsoft sources) changing the actual font size of the text. This makes little real-world difference, however, since the size of your text is changed on both the screen and any printouts.

It might be more accurate to say that while the height of the text used is not changed, the width is. You can take advantage of this Word table feature by following these steps if you are using Word 2000, 2002, or 2003:

1. Select the cell or cells that you want to format.
2. Choose Table Properties from the Table menu. The Table Properties dialog box is displayed.
3. If necessary, select the Cell tab. (Click here to see a related figure.)
4. Click on the Options button. Word displays the Cell Options dialog box. (Click here to see a related figure.)
5. Make sure the Fit Text check box is selected.
6. Click on OK to close the Cell Options dialog box.
7. Click on OK to close the Table Properties dialog box.

The steps you need to follow are slightly different in Word 2007:

1. Select the cell or cells that you want to format.
2. Make sure the Layout tab of the ribbon is displayed.
3. Click the small icon at the bottom-right corner of the Cell Size group. Excel displays the Table Properties dialog box, with the Cell tab selected.
4. Click on the Options button. Word displays the Cell Options dialog box.
5. Make sure the Fit Text check box is selected.
6. Click on OK to close the Cell Options dialog box.
7. Click on OK to close the Table Properties dialog box.

You should note that if there is not enough text in a cell to fit all the way across the cell, Word forces the text to fit. This means it will increase the spaces between words and characters to fill the cell. It will not, however, widen the actual characters that make up the cell contents. Word apparently only makes characters narrower, not wider.