Cell alignment and wrapping in Excel - Dashboard Guide

Dashboard Mode - Cell alignment and wrapping

Dashboard Goal

Help users see text clearly in cells by adjusting alignment and wrapping long text so it fits nicely.

Sample Data

Item	Description	Quantity
Pen	Blue ink ballpoint pen with comfortable grip	50
Notebook	200 pages ruled notebook for school or office use	30
Stapler	Compact stapler with staple remover included	15
Marker	Permanent black marker for writing on various surfaces	40
Folder	Plastic folder with 3 rings to hold papers securely	25

Dashboard Components

• KPI Card: Total Quantity
  Formula: =SUM(C2:C6)
  Shows total items in stock (expected result: 160)
• Table: Product List with Wrapped Descriptions
  Apply text wrapping to the Description column (B2:B6) so long text fits inside cells without spilling over.
• Alignment Examples:
  - Item column (A2:A6): Align text center horizontally and vertically.
  - Quantity column (C2:C6): Align numbers right horizontally and middle vertically.

Dashboard Layout

+-----------------------------+
|       Total Quantity KPI     |
|           (Cell D1)          |
+-----------------------------+
| Item  | Description          | Quantity |
| (A2:A6)| (B2:B6 wrapped)    | (C2:C6)  |
+-----------------------------+

Interactivity

No filters needed for this simple dashboard. Users can adjust column widths or toggle wrap text to see how alignment and wrapping affect readability.

Self Check

If you increase the width of the Description column, what happens to the wrapped text? Does it show more on one line or fewer lines? Which cells show the alignment changes clearly?

Key Result

Dashboard shows total quantity and a product list with wrapped descriptions and aligned cells for better readability.