Inserting a text box into Google Sheets
As discussed in this post, there are many times when a text box is a great solution for displaying large pieces of text in a spreadsheet. Inserting a text box into Google Sheets is possible, but finding out how is not readily apparent. If you have a need for a text box in your data, go to Insert -> Drawing.
After selecting Drawing, the Insert Drawing options appear below. Select Text box, which is the second from the right.
Once you select insert text box, you will be able to type inside a rectange as shown below. You can also change the border, background color, and text styles.
This is all well and good. If you knew exactly what text you wanted to type and insert and you knew you were never going to change it, then you are done and it was easy. However, in the real world, you never know exactly what you are going to type and you often need to add and delete text. Modifying text, while not terribly hard, is not as easy as it should be. You have to double click on the box, wait for another window to pop-up, and then start typing. Having said that, it’s still easier than typing the content into cells, merging and applying text wrap. It’s just not quite as easy as using a text box in Excel.
Jamie says:
I am reading this 4½ years later and the process is still sadly just as convoluted. It also dumps the text into the spreadsheet as a graphic – a slightly blurry, squashed graphic… Excel definitely wins here!
admin says:
Agreed!
Eden Fantasys says:
Google Docs has a drawing tool that s designed for inserting text boxes and shapes into your document. Although they re not necessary for every document, text boxes and shapes can be used to set important details apart from the rest of your document or to organize information. For example, rectangles, lines, and arrows can be used together to create a flow chart.
Joe says:
No.