# Solved: Unable to change label box size in Excel



## dmcclure (Jul 29, 1999)

I'm tgrying to resize a data point label in an Excel chart. (Excel 2002) According to the Excel help file:

"Click the chart area, the plot area, or the legend you want to move or resize. 
To move an item, point to the item, and then drag it to another location. 
To resize an item, point to a sizing handle. When the pointer changes to a double-headed arrow, drag the sizing handle until the item is the size you want."

I'm used to doing this in lots of other programs but I can't get it to work in my Excel charts. Does that mean I cannot resize data point data labels in Excel?

Don


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## jnoonananster (May 9, 2007)

Don, I have the same problem and have been trying to solve it for two weeks now. I can't find any answers. Someone please help!!!


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## Zack Barresse (Jul 25, 2004)

Can either of you two upload a sample file please?

And jnoonananster, welcome to the board!


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## dmcclure (Jul 29, 1999)

Hi - Thanks for the offer to review the file. However, it's been a couple of months since posted the problem and I can't remember what spreadsheet I was working on then. I guess I found a way to work around the problem or it went away on it's own!

Don


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## jnoonananster (May 9, 2007)

It's not the hugest deal in the world, but I would like to have control over the size (width and height) of the label boxes. I have been able to edit the text inside (font and size, breaks), but the set bounding box is a real limitation regardless. Thanks for taking a look.


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## slurpee55 (Oct 20, 2004)

Jnoonananster, to start with,you file is in PowerPoint, not Excel, so the pictures you have are Metafiles - a type of picture, You probably originally made them in Excel or based them on an Excel spreadsheet. If you want to edit the labels for them, I think you have to do it in the original graph, not the picture copied into PowerPoint.


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## dmcclure (Jul 29, 1999)

I found the file that started all this and I've attached it. I cannot change the data point label box. For example: see the data point labeled " Fences/gravel/mailboxes 8%". I'd like to increase the width so "Fences/gravel/mailboxes" all fits on one line.

Don


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## Zack Barresse (Jul 25, 2004)

I'm afraid you cannot edit/change those. You cannot even do this programmatically through VBA. you can, however, replace it with a standard textbox and have the ability to resize it, but then you also lose the native ability to have it linked to your chart [location]. Sorry.


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## dmcclure (Jul 29, 1999)

Well - That's sorta dumb! Maybe in Excel 2025 they'll fix that.
Thanks for the answer.

Don


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