excel tutorialExcel Charts
A simple chart can say more than a sheet full of numbers. As you'll see, creating Excel charts is very easy. This chapter teaches you how to create a chart, how to switch rows to columns, how to add a chart title, how to change the legend position and how to change to a different type of chart.
Create a Chart
To create a chart, open the accompanied Excel file, and execute the following steps.
1. Select the data range you want to include in the chart. In this example, select the range with address A1:E4.
Note: include the headers when selecting the data range!
2. Click on Insert, choose Column under the Charts group, and select one of the subtypes (for example, Clustered Column).
Result:
With just a few clicks this already looks really nice.
Switch Row/Column
If you want the quarters, displayed on the horizontal (category) axis, to be displayed on the vertical (value) axis instead, you can switch rows to columns.
1. Select the chart. The Chart Tools contextual tab activates.
2. Click on the Design tab and click on Switch Row/Column under the Data group.
Result:
Let's take a look at some other chart features.
Add Chart Title
Our Chart needs a title because at the moment it is unclear what the numbers represent.
1. Select the chart. The Chart Tools contextual tab activates.
2. On the Layout tab, click on Chart Title, and select Above Chart.
3. Type the title. For example, Profits.
Result:
Change Legend Position
By default, the legend appears to the right of the chart. To move the legend to the bottom of the chart, execute the following steps.
1. Select the chart. The Chart Tools contextual tab activates.
2. On the Layout tab, click on Legend and select Show Legend at Bottom.
Result:
Change Chart Type
You can easily change to a different type of chart at any time. Execute the following steps to achieve this.
1. Select the chart. The Chart Tools contextual tab activates.
2. On the Design tab, click on Change Chart Type under the Type group.
3. For example, choose Bar and select Stacked Bar as subtype.
Result:
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