Changing the Comment Font

Excel allows you to add comments to different cells in your worksheets. This feature is analogous to using "sticky notes" on a worksheet--they allow you to make notations that are germane to the cell being commented. (You learned how to add comments in other issues of ExcelTips.)

Sometimes the font used by Excel to display the comments may not be to your liking. It may be too small, or the wrong typeface. You can change the font characteristics used for individual comments simply by selecting the text in the comment, when you create it, and then using the tools on the Formatting toolbar to make modifications. If you want to change font characteristics at a later time, simply display the comment and select the text, or right-click on a cell that has a comment and choose Edit Comment. With the text selected you can again use the Formatting toolbar controls.

There is no way within Excel to actually change the default font characteristics used for comments. Instead, you can make modifications within Windows itself, since Excel relies on the Windows settings as a starting point for comments. Simply follow these steps:

1. Minimize Excel, along with all your other programs.
2. Right-click on any area of the desktop itself. Windows displays a Context menu.
3. Choose Properties. Windows opens the Display Properties dialog box.
4. Make sure the Appearance tab is selected. (Click here to see a related figure.)
5. Using the Item drop-down list, choose ToolTip.
6. Use the Font and Size controls to specify the font characteristics you want used by Windows.
7. Click on OK.

Now your comments will use the font characteristics you selected. (This only affects new comments you enter.) In addition, since you changed the ToolTip font, all your ToolTips in Excel and all your other programs will be affected, as well.