diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 73aa79d1..374deb4b 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -61,6 +61,3 @@ coverage.xml
 .coverage
 .vscode/tasks.json
 todo.txt
-
-tags
-.vimrc
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/jrnl/exception.py b/jrnl/exception.py
index bc299306..ac7cd0b2 100644
--- a/jrnl/exception.py
+++ b/jrnl/exception.py
@@ -33,8 +33,10 @@ class JrnlError(Exception):
             ),
             "LineWrapTooSmallForDateFormat": textwrap.dedent(
                 """
-                The provided linewrap value of {config_linewrap} is too small
-                to display the timestamps in the configured time format.
+                The provided linewrap value of {config_linewrap} is too small by {columns} columns
+                to display the timestamps in the configured time format for journal {journal}.
+
+                You can avoid this error by specifying a linewrap value that is larger by at least {columns} in the configuration file or by using --config-override at the command line 
                 """
             ),
         }
diff --git a/jrnl/plugins/fancy_exporter.py b/jrnl/plugins/fancy_exporter.py
index af6c19da..aae51f46 100644
--- a/jrnl/plugins/fancy_exporter.py
+++ b/jrnl/plugins/fancy_exporter.py
@@ -41,7 +41,8 @@ class FancyExporter(TextExporter):
         card = [
             cls.border_a + cls.border_b * (initial_linewrap) + cls.border_c + date_str
         ]
-        cls.check_linewrap(linewrap, card)
+        check_provided_linewrap_viability(linewrap, card, entry.journal)
+
         w = TextWrapper(
             width=initial_linewrap,
             initial_indent=cls.border_g + " ",
@@ -75,14 +76,20 @@ class FancyExporter(TextExporter):
         card.append(cls.border_l + cls.border_b * body_linewrap + cls.border_m)
         return "\n".join(card)
 
-    @classmethod
-    def check_linewrap(cls, linewrap, card):
-        if len(card[0]) > linewrap:
-            raise JrnlError("LineWrapTooSmallForDateFormat", config_linewrap=linewrap)
-        else:
-            pass
-
     @classmethod
     def export_journal(cls, journal):
         """Returns a unicode representation of an entire journal."""
         return "\n".join(cls.export_entry(entry) for entry in journal)
+
+
+def check_provided_linewrap_viability(linewrap, card, journal):
+    if len(card[0]) > linewrap:
+        width_violation = len(card[0]) - linewrap
+        raise JrnlError(
+            "LineWrapTooSmallForDateFormat",
+            config_linewrap=linewrap,
+            columns=width_violation,
+            journal=journal,
+        )
+    else:
+        pass
diff --git a/tests/test_export.py b/tests/test_export.py
index 6419acb8..6cd2db61 100644
--- a/tests/test_export.py
+++ b/tests/test_export.py
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 from jrnl.exception import JrnlError
-from jrnl.plugins.fancy_exporter import FancyExporter
-
+from jrnl.plugins.fancy_exporter import check_provided_linewrap_viability
 
 import pytest
 
@@ -30,10 +29,11 @@ def build_card_header(datestr):
 class TestFancy:
     def test_too_small_linewrap(self, datestr):
 
+        journal = "test_journal"
         content = build_card_header(datestr)
 
         total_linewrap = 12
 
         with pytest.raises(JrnlError) as e:
-            FancyExporter.check_linewrap(total_linewrap, [content])
+            check_provided_linewrap_viability(total_linewrap, [content], journal)
         assert e.value.error_type == "LineWrapTooSmallForDateFormat"