How to Rotate Text in Excel (angle or vertical)

Rotated headers let narrow columns carry long labels.

Quick rotate

1. Select the cells.
2. Home › Alignment › Orientation (the ab with an arrow).
3. Choose Angle Counterclockwise, Vertical Text, Rotate Text Up or Rotate Text Down.

Exact angle

1. Ctrl+1 › Alignment.
2. In Degrees, type from -90 to 90, or drag the red dot.
3. OK.

45 is the usual pick for column headers.

Letters stacked

Click the tall vertical Text box in the same Alignment dialog. Each letter sits under the one before.

Undo rotation

Orientation › Format Cell Alignment and set degrees back to 0.

Text boxes and shapes

Drag the curved arrow handle at the top, or Shape Format › Rotate. Insert a text box.

Chart axis labels

Right-click the axis › Format Axis › Size & Properties › Custom angle.

Keep it tidy: AutoFit columns after rotating.