Data Validation supports minimum and maximum entry lengths. Have you taken a
look at that?

You can find it in the data menu (or tab in 2007).

You can even have custom error and input messages.

"Steve" wrote:

=IF(LEN(C3)<=D3,"Entry Acceptable","Too Many Characters")
C3 starts off empty and is an input field. D3 is the maximum number of
characters including spaces allowed.
Trying to add another step to formula that if cell C3 is blank/empty no
result would be shown.
--
Steve