Create charts from excel

Charts help you visualize your data in a way that creates maximum impact on your audience. Learn to create a chart and add a trendline. You can start your document from a recommended chart or choose one from our collection of pre-built chart templates.

Your browser does not support video. Install Microsoft Silverlight, Adobe Flash Player, or Internet Explorer 9.

Create a chart

  1. Select data for the chart.

  2. Select Insert > Recommended Charts.

  3. Select a chart on the Recommended Charts tab, to preview the chart.

    Note: You can select the data you want in the chart and press ALT + F1 to create a chart immediately, but it might not be the best chart for the data. If you don’t see a chart you like, select the All Charts tab to see all chart types.

  4. Select a chart.

  5. Select OK.

Add a trendline

  1. Select a chart.

  2. Select Design > Add Chart Element.

  3. Select Trendline and then select the type of trendline you want, such as Linear, Exponential, Linear Forecast, or Moving Average.

Note: Some of the content in this topic may not be applicable to some languages.

Charts display data in a graphical format that can help you and your audience visualize relationships between data. When you create a chart, you can select from many chart types (for example, a stacked column chart or a 3-D exploded pie chart). After you create a chart, you can customize it by applying chart quick layouts or styles.

Charts contain several elements, such as a title, axis labels, a legend, and gridlines. You can hide or display these elements, and you can also change their location and formatting.

An Office chart with callouts

Callout 1 Chart title

Plot area

Callout 3 Legend

Callout 4 Axis titles

Callout 5 Axis labels

Callout 6 Tick marks

Callout 7 Gridlines

You can create a chart in Excel, Word, and PowerPoint. However, the chart data is entered and saved in an Excel worksheet. If you insert a chart in Word or PowerPoint, a new sheet is opened in Excel. When you save a Word document or PowerPoint presentation that contains a chart, the chart’s underlying Excel data is automatically saved within the Word document or PowerPoint presentation.

Note: The Excel Workbook Gallery replaces the former Chart Wizard. By default, the Excel Workbook Gallery opens when you open Excel. From the gallery, you can browse templates and create a new workbook based on one of them. If you don’t see the Excel Workbook Gallery, on the File menu, click New from Template.

  1. On the View menu, click Print Layout.

  2. Click the Insert tab, and then click the arrow next to Chart.

    Click the Insert tab, and then click Chart

  3. Click a chart type, and then double-click the chart you want to add.

    When you insert a chart into Word or PowerPoint, an Excel worksheet opens that contains a table of sample data.

  4. In Excel, replace the sample data with the data that you want to plot in the chart. If you already have your data in another table, you can copy the data from that table and then paste it over the sample data. See the following table for guidelines for how to arrange the data to fit your chart type.

    For this chart type

    Arrange the data

    Area, bar, column, doughnut, line, radar, or surface chart

    In columns or rows, as in the following examples:

    Series 1

    Series 2

    Category A

    10

    12

    Category B

    11

    14

    Category C

    9

    15

    or

    Category A

    Category B

    Series 1

    10

    11

    Series 2

    12

    14

    Bubble chart

    In columns, putting x values in the first column and corresponding y values and bubble size values in adjacent columns, as in the following examples:

    X-Values

    Y-Value 1

    Size 1

    0.7

    2.7

    4

    1.8

    3.2

    5

    2.6

    0.08

    6

    Pie chart

    In one column or row of data and one column or row of data labels, as in the following examples:

    Sales

    1st Qtr

    25

    2nd Qtr

    30

    3rd Qtr

    45

    or

    1st Qtr

    2nd Qtr

    3rd Qtr

    Sales

    25

    30

    45

    Stock chart

    In columns or rows in the following order, using names or dates as labels, as in the following examples:

    Open

    High

    Low

    Close

    1/5/02

    44

    55

    11

    25

    1/6/02

    25

    57

    12

    38

    or

    1/5/02

    1/6/02

    Open

    44

    25

    High

    55

    57

    Low

    11

    12

    Close

    25

    38

    X Y (scatter) chart

    In columns, putting x values in the first column and corresponding y values in adjacent columns, as in the following examples:

    X-Values

    Y-Value 1

    0.7

    2.7

    1.8

    3.2

    2.6

    0.08

    or

    X-Values

    0.7

    1.8

    2.6

    Y-Value 1

    2.7

    3.2

    0.08

  5. To change the number of rows and columns included in the chart, rest the pointer on the lower-right corner of the selected data, and then drag to select additional data. In the following example, the table is expanded to include additional categories and data series.

    Selecting more data for an Office chart

  6. To see the results of your changes, switch back to Word or PowerPoint.

    Note: When you close the Word document or the PowerPoint presentation that contains the chart, the chart’s Excel data table closes automatically.

After you create a chart, you might want to change the way that table rows and columns are plotted in the chart. For example, your first version of a chart might plot the rows of data from the table on the chart’s vertical (value) axis, and the columns of data on the horizontal (category) axis. In the following example, the chart emphasizes sales by instrument.

Chart showing sales by category

However, if you want the chart to emphasize the sales by month, you can reverse the way the chart is plotted.

Chart showing sales by month

  1. On the View menu, click Print Layout.

  2. Click the chart.

  3. Click the Chart Design tab, and then click Switch Row/Column.

    Click the Chart Design tab, and then click Switch Row/Column

    If Switch Row/Column is not available

    Switch Row/Column is available only when the chart’s Excel data table is open and only for certain chart types. You can also edit the data by clicking the chart, and then editing the worksheet in Excel.

  1. On the View menu, click Print Layout.

  2. Click the chart.

  3. Click the Chart Design tab, and then click Quick Layout.

    Click the Chart Design tab, and click Quick Layout

  4. Click the layout you want.

    To immediately undo a quick layout that you applied, press The Command button.+ Z .

Chart styles are a set of complementary colors and effects that you can apply to your chart. When you select a chart style, your changes affect the whole chart.

  1. On the View menu, click Print Layout.

  2. Click the chart.

  3. Click the Chart Design tab, and then click the style you want.

    Click the Chart Design tab, and then click a chart style

    To see more styles, point to a style, and then click More Down Arrow.

    To immediately undo a style that you applied, press The Command button.+ Z .

  1. On the View menu, click Print Layout.

  2. Click the chart, and then click the Chart Design tab.

  3. Click Add Chart Element.

    Click the Chart Design tab, and then click Add Chart Element

  4. Click Chart Title to choose title format options, and then return to the chart to type a title in the Chart Title box.

See also

Update the data in an existing chart

Chart types

Your browser does not support video. Install Microsoft Silverlight, Adobe Flash Player, or Internet Explorer 9.

Create a chart

You can create a chart for your data in Excel for the web. Depending on the data you have, you can create a column, line, pie, bar, area, scatter, or radar chart. 

  1. Click anywhere in the data for which you want to create a chart.

    To plot specific data into a chart, you can also select the data.

  2. Select Insert > Charts > and the chart type you want.

    Excel for the web Chart Types

  3. On the menu that opens, select the option you want. Hover over a chart to learn more about it.

    Chart Sub Types

    Tip: Your choice isn’t applied until you pick an option from a Charts command menu. Consider reviewing several chart types: as you point to menu items, summaries appear next to them to help you decide. 

  4. To edit the chart (titles, legends, data labels), select the Chart tab and then select Format.

    Excel for the web Chart Format

  5. In the Chart pane, adjust the setting as needed.  You can customize settings for the chart’s title, legend, axis titles, series titles, and more.

    Excel for the web Chart pane

Available chart types

It’s a good idea to review your data and decide what type of chart would work best. The available types are listed below.

Data that’s arranged in columns or rows on a worksheet can be plotted in a column chart. A column chart typically displays categories along the horizontal axis and values along the vertical axis, like shown in this chart:

Clustered column chart

Types of column charts

  • Clustered column A clustered column chart shows values in 2-D columns. Use this chart when you have categories that represent:

    • Ranges of values (for example, item counts).

    • Specific scale arrangements (for example, a Likert scale with entries, like strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree, strongly disagree).

    • Names that are not in any specific order (for example, item names, geographic names, or the names of people).

  • Stacked column  A stacked column chart shows values in 2-D stacked columns. Use this chart when you have multiple data series and you want to emphasize the total.

  • 100% stacked column A 100% stacked column chart shows values in 2-D columns that are stacked to represent 100%. Use this chart when you have two or more data series and you want to emphasize the contributions to the whole, especially if the total is the same for each category.

Data that is arranged in columns or rows on a worksheet can be plotted in a line chart. In a line chart, category data is distributed evenly along the horizontal axis, and all value data is distributed evenly along the vertical axis. Line charts can show continuous data over time on an evenly scaled axis, and are therefore ideal for showing trends in data at equal intervals, like months, quarters, or fiscal years.

Line with markers chart

Types of line charts

  • Line and line with markers Shown with or without markers to indicate individual data values, line charts can show trends over time or evenly spaced categories, especially when you have many data points and the order in which they are presented is important. If there are many categories or the values are approximate, use a line chart without markers.

  • Stacked line and stacked line with markers Shown with or without markers to indicate individual data values, stacked line charts can show the trend of the contribution of each value over time or evenly spaced categories.

  • 100% stacked line and 100% stacked line with markers Shown with or without markers to indicate individual data values, 100% stacked line charts can show the trend of the percentage each value contributes over time or evenly spaced categories. If there are many categories or the values are approximate, use a 100% stacked line chart without markers.

    Notes: 

    • Line charts work best when you have multiple data series in your chart—if you only have one data series, consider using a scatter chart instead.

    • Stacked line charts add the data, which might not be the result you want. It might not be easy to see that the lines are stacked, so consider using a different line chart type or a stacked area chart instead.

Data that is arranged in one column or row on a worksheet can be plotted in a pie chart. Pie charts show the size of items in one data series, proportional to the sum of the items. The data points in a pie chart are shown as a percentage of the whole pie.

Pie chart

Consider using a pie chart when:

  • You have only one data series.

  • None of the values in your data are negative.

  • Almost none of the values in your data are zero values.

  • You have no more than seven categories, all of which represent parts of the whole pie.

Data that is arranged in columns or rows only on a worksheet can be plotted in a doughnut chart. Like a pie chart, a doughnut chart shows the relationship of parts to a whole, but it can contain more than one data series.

Doughnut chart

Tip: Doughnut charts are not easy to read. You may want to use a stacked column or stacked bar chart instead.

Data that is arranged in columns or rows on a worksheet can be plotted in a bar chart. Bar charts illustrate comparisons among individual items. In a bar chart, the categories are typically organized along the vertical axis, and the values along the horizontal axis.

Bar chart

Consider using a bar chart when:

  • The axis labels are long.

  • The values that are shown are durations.

Types of bar charts

  • Clustered A clustered bar chart shows bars in 2-D format.

  • Stacked bar Stacked bar charts show the relationship of individual items to the whole in 2-D bars

  • 100% stacked  A 100% stacked bar shows 2-D bars that compare the percentage that each value contributes to a total across categories.

Data that is arranged in columns or rows on a worksheet can be plotted in an area chart. Area charts can be used to plot change over time and draw attention to the total value across a trend. By showing the sum of the plotted values, an area chart also shows the relationship of parts to a whole.

Area chart

Types of area charts

  • Area Shown in 2-D format, area charts show the trend of values over time or other category data. As a rule, consider using a line chart instead of a non-stacked area chart, because data from one series can be hidden behind data from another series.

  • Stacked area Stacked area charts show the trend of the contribution of each value over time or other category data in 2-D format.

  • 100% stacked 100% stacked area charts show the trend of the percentage that each value contributes over time or other category data.

Data that is arranged in columns and rows on a worksheet can be plotted in an scatter chart. Place the x values in one row or column, and then enter the corresponding y values in the adjacent rows or columns.

A scatter chart has two value axes: a horizontal (x) and a vertical (y) value axis. It combines x and y values into single data points and shows them in irregular intervals, or clusters. Scatter charts are typically used for showing and comparing numeric values, like scientific, statistical, and engineering data.

Scatter chart

Consider using a scatter chart when:

  • You want to change the scale of the horizontal axis.

  • You want to make that axis a logarithmic scale.

  • Values for horizontal axis are not evenly spaced.

  • There are many data points on the horizontal axis.

  • You want to adjust the independent axis scales of a scatter chart to reveal more information about data that includes pairs or grouped sets of values.

  • You want to show similarities between large sets of data instead of differences between data points.

  • You want to compare many data points without regard to time — the more data that you include in a scatter chart, the better the comparisons you can make.

Types of scatter charts

  • Scatter This chart shows data points without connecting lines to compare pairs of values.

  • Scatter with smooth lines and markers and scatter with smooth lines This chart shows a smooth curve that connects the data points. Smooth lines can be shown with or without markers. Use a smooth line without markers if there are many data points.

  • Scatter with straight lines and markers and scatter with straight lines This chart shows straight connecting lines between data points. Straight lines can be shown with or without markers.

Data that is arranged in columns or rows on a worksheet can be plotted in a radar chart. Radar charts compare the aggregate values of several data series.

Radar chart

Type of radar charts

  • Radar and radar with markers With or without markers for individual data points, radar charts show changes in values relative to a center point.

  • Filled radar In a filled radar chart, the area covered by a data series is filled with a color.

Add or edit a chart title

You can add or edit a chart title, customize its look, and include it on the chart.

  1. Click anywhere in the chart to show the Chart tab on the ribbon.

  2. Click Format to open the chart formatting options.

    Excel for the web Chart Format

  3. In the Chart pane, expand the Chart Title section.
    Chart Title Options for Excel on the web

  4. Add or edit the Chart Title to meet your needs.

  5. Use the switch to hide the title if you don’t want your chart to show a title.

Add axis titles to improve chart readability

Adding titles to the horizontal and vertical axes in charts that have axes can make them easier to read. You can’t add axis titles to charts that don’t have axes, such as pie and doughnut charts.

Much like chart titles, axis titles help the people who view the chart understand what the data is about.

Stached Column chart with axis titles

  1. Click anywhere in the chart to show the Chart tab on the ribbon.

  2. Click Format to open the chart formatting options.

    Excel for the web Chart Format

  3. In the Chart pane, expand the Horizontal Axis or Vertical Axis section.
    Chart Axis Options for Excel for the web

  4. Add or edit the Horizontal Axis or Vertical Axis options to meet your needs.

  5. Expand the Axis Title.
    Chart Axis Options for Excel for the web

  6. Change the Axis Title and modify the formatting.

  7. Use the switch to show or hide the title.

Change the axis labels

Axis labels are shown below the horizontal axis and next to the vertical axis. Your chart uses text in the source data for these axis labels.

To change the text of the category labels on the horizontal or vertical axis:

  1. Click the cell which has the label text you want to change.

  2. Type the text you want and press Enter.

    The axis labels in the chart are automatically updated with the new text.

Tip: Axis labels are different from axis titles you can add to describe what is shown on the axes. Axis titles aren’t automatically shown in a chart.

Remove the axis labels

To remove labels on the horizontal or vertical axis:

  1. Click anywhere in the chart to show the Chart tab on the ribbon.

  2. Click Format to open the chart formatting options.

    Excel for the web Chart Format

  3. In the Chart pane, expand the Horizontal Axis or Vertical Axis section.
    Chart Axis Options for Excel for the web

  4. From the dropdown box for Label Position, select None to prevent the labels from showing on the chart.
    Chart Axis Label Options for Excel for the web

Need more help?

You can always ask an expert in the Excel Tech Community or get support in the Answers community.

Any information is easier to perceive when it’s represented in a visual form. It’s particularly relevant for numeric data that needs to be compared. In this case, charts are the optimal variant of representation. We will work in Excel.

Moreover, we will learn to create dynamic charts and graphs, which are updated automatically when you change the data. The link at the end of the article will allow you to download a sample template.



How to build a chart off a table in Excel?

  1. Create a table with the data.
  2. table with data.

  3. Select the range of values A1:B5 that need to be presented as a chart. Go to the «INSERT» tab and choose the type.
  4. INSERT tab.

  5. Click «Insert Column Chart» (as an example; you may choose a different type). Select one of the suggested bar charts.
  6. Insert Column.

  7. After you choose your bar chart type, it will be generated automatically.
  8. Such a variant isn’t exactly what we need, so let’s modify it. Double-click on the bar chart’s title and enter «Total Amounts».
  9. Total Amounts.

  10. Add the vertical axis title. Go to «CHART TOOLS» — «DESIGN» — «Add Element» — «Axis Titles» — «Primary Vertical». Select the vertical axis and its title type.
  11. Primary Vertical.

  12. Enter «AMOUNT».
  13. Change the color and style. Choose a different style number 9.
  14. Styles.

  15. Specify the sums by giving titles to the bars. Go to the «DESIGN» tab, select «Data Labels» and the desired position.

Data Labels.

Done!

Done.

As a result, we have a stylish presentation of the data in Excel.



How to add data in an Excel chart?

  1. Add new values to the table – the «Plan» column.
  2. Plan.

  3. Select the new range of values, including the heading. Copy it to the clipboard (by pressing Ctrl+C). Select the existing chart and paste the fragment (by pressing Ctrl+V).
  4. As it’s not entirely clear where the figures in our bar chart come from, let’s create the legend. Go to «DESIGN» — «Legend» — «Right». This is the result:

the result.

There is a more complicated way of adding new data into the existing graph through the «DESIGN» «Select Data» menu (open it by right-clicking and selecting «Select Data»).

Select Data.

After you click «Add» (legend elements), there will open the row for selecting the range of values.

How to reverse axes in an Excel chart?

In the menu you’ve opened, click the «DESIGN»-«Switch/Column» button.

Switch.

The values for rows and categories will swap around automatically.

around automatically.

How to lock controls in an Excel chart?

If you need to add new data in the bar chart very often, it’s not convenient to change the range every time. The optimal variant is to create a dynamic chart that will update automatically. To lock the controls, let’s transform the data range into a «Smart Table».

  1. Select the range of values A1:C5 and click «Format as Table» on «HOME» tab.
  2. Format as Table.

  3. Select any style in the drop-down menu. The program suggests you select the range for the table – agree with the suggested variant. The values for the graph will appear as follows:
  4. range for the table.

  5. As soon as you begin to enter new information in the table, the chart will also change. It has become dynamic:

dynamic.

We have learned how to create a «Smart Table» off the existing data. If the spreadsheet is blank, start off with entering the values in the table: «INSERT» — «Table».

How to build a percentage chart in Excel?

Pie charts are the best option for representing percentage information.

The input data for our sample chart:

input data for our sample.

  1. Select the range A1:B8. «INSERT» — «Insert Pie or Doughnut Chart» — «3D-Pie».
  2. Insert Pie or Doughnut Chart.

  3. Go to the tab «DESIGN» — «Styles». Among the suggested options, there are styles that include percentages. Choose the suitable 9.
  4. Style 9.

  5. The small percentage sectors are visible poorly. To highlight them, let’s create a secondary chart. Select the pie. Go to the tab «DESIGN» — «Change Chart Type». Select a pie with a secondary graph.
  6. Change Chart Typ.

  7. The automatically generated option does not fulfill the task. Right-click on any sector. The dots designating the boundaries will become visible. Click «Format Data Series». Enter the following row parameters:
  8. Format Data Series.

  9. We have obtained the desired variant:

desired variant.

Gantt chart in Excel

The Gantt chart is way of representing information in the form of bars to illustrate a multi-stage event. It’s a simple yet impressive trick.

  1. We have a (dummy) table containing the deadlines for different reports.
  2. different reports.

  3. To create a chart, insert a column containing the number of days (column C). Fill it in with the help of Excel formulas.
  4. Select the range to contain the Gantt chart (E3:BF12). That is, the cells to be filled with a color between the beginning and end dates.
  5. Open the «Conditional Formatting» menu (on the «HOME» tab). Select «New Rule» — «Use a formula to determine which cells to format».
  6. Use a formula.

  7. Enter the formula of the following type: =AND(E$2>=$B3,E$2<=$D3). Excel uses the operator «И» to compare the date in the current cell with the beginning and end dates. Then, click «Format» and select the fill color.

Gantt chart in Excel.

When you need to build a presentable financial report, it’s better to use the graphical data representation tools.

A simple Gantt graph is ready. You can also download the template with a sample:

Download all examples

If the information is represented in a graphical way, it’s perceived visually much quicker and more efficiently than texts and numbers. It makes it easier to conduct an analytic analysis. It makes the situation clearer – both the whole picture and particular details.

Charts and graphs were specifically developed in Excel for fulfilling such tasks.

After you input your data and select the cell range, you’re ready to choose the chart type. In this example, we’ll create a clustered column chart from the data we used in the previous section.

Step 1: Select Chart Type

Once your data is highlighted in the Workbook, click the Insert tab on the top banner. About halfway across the toolbar is a section with several chart options. Excel provides Recommended Charts based on popularity, but you can click any of the dropdown menus to select a different template.

How to select chart type in Excel

Step 2: Create Your Chart

  1. From the Insert tab, click the column chart icon and select Clustered Column.

How to select Excel chart

  1. Excel will automatically create a clustered chart column from your selected data. The chart will appear in the center of your workbook.
  2. To name your chart, double click the Chart Title text in the chart and type a title. We’ll call this chart “Product Profit 2013 — 2017.”

How to name a chart in Excel charts

We’ll use this chart for the rest of the walkthrough. You can download this same chart to follow along.

Download Sample Column Chart Template

There are two tabs on the toolbar that you will use to make adjustments to your chart: Chart Design and Format. Excel automatically applies design, layout, and format presets to charts and graphs, but you can add customization by exploring the tabs. Next, we’ll walk you through all the available adjustments in Chart Design.

How to make adjustments to your chart in Excel

Step 3: Add Chart Elements

Adding chart elements to your chart or graph will enhance it by clarifying data or providing additional context. You can select a chart element by clicking on the Add Chart Element dropdown menu in the top left-hand corner (beneath the Home tab).

How to add chart elements in Excel

To Display or Hide Axes:

  1. Select Axes. Excel will automatically pull the column and row headers from your selected cell range to display both horizontal and vertical axes on your chart (Under Axes, there is a check mark next to Primary Horizontal and Primary Vertical.)

    How to display or hide axes in Excel charts

  2. Uncheck these options to remove the display axis on your chart. In this example, clicking Primary Horizontal will remove the year labels on the horizontal axis of your chart.

    How to remove display axis in Excel charts

  3. Click More Axis Options… from the Axes dropdown menu to open a window with additional formatting and text options such as adding tick marks, labels, or numbers, or to change text color and size.

    Axis dropdown menu in Excel

     

To Add Axis Titles:

  1. Click Add Chart Element and click Axis Titles from the dropdown menu. Excel will not automatically add axis titles to your chart; therefore, both Primary Horizontal and Primary Vertical will be unchecked.

    Add chart elements in Excel

  2. To create axis titles, click Primary Horizontal or Primary Vertical and a text box will appear on the chart. We clicked both in this example. Type your axis titles. In this example, the we added the titles “Year” (horizontal) and “Profit” (vertical).

    Create axis titles in Excel

To Remove or Move Chart Title:

  • Click Add Chart Element and click Chart Title. You will see four options: None, Above Chart, Centered Overlay, and More Title Options.

    How to remove or move chart title in Excel

  • Click None to remove chart title.
  • Click Above Chart to place the title above the chart. If you create a chart title, Excel will automatically place it above the chart.
  • Click Centered Overlay to place the title within the gridlines of the chart. Be careful with this option: you don’t want the title to cover any of your data or clutter your graph (as in the example below).

Chart title in Excel

To Add Data Labels:

  1. Click Add Chart Element and click Data Labels. There are six options for data labels: None (default), Center, Inside End, Inside Base, Outside End, and More Data Label Title Options.

    How to add data labels in Excel charts

  2. The four placement options will add specific labels to each data point measured in your chart. Click the option you want. This customization can be helpful if you have a small amount of precise data, or if you have a lot of extra space in your chart. For a clustered column chart, however, adding data labels will likely look too cluttered. For example, here is what selecting Center data labels looks like:

    Add specific labels in Excel charts

To Add a Data Table: 

  1. Click Add Chart Element and click Data Table. There are three pre-formatted options along with an extended menu that can be found by clicking More Data Table Options:

    How to add a data table in Excel

Note: If you choose to include a data table, you’ll probably want to make your chart larger to accommodate the table. Simply click the corner of your chart and use drag-and-drop to resize your chart.

To Add Error Bars:

  1. Click Add Chart Element and click Error Bars. In addition to More Error Bars Options, there are four options: None (default), Standard Error, 5% (Percentage), and Standard Deviation. Adding error bars provide a visual representation of the potential error in the shown data, based on different standard equations for isolating error.

    How to add error bars in Excel

  2. For example, when we click Standard Error from the options we get a chart that looks like the image below.

    Standard error in Excel charts

 To Add Gridlines:

  1. Click Add Chart Element and click Gridlines. In addition to More Grid Line Options, there are four options: Primary Major Horizontal, Primary Major Vertical, Primary Minor Horizontal, and Primary Minor Vertical. For a column chart, Excel will add Primary Major Horizontal gridlines by default.

    How to add gridlines in Excel

  2. You can select as many different gridlines as you want by clicking the options. For example, here is what our chart looks like when we click all four gridline options.

To Add a Legend:  

  1. Click Add Chart Element and click Legend. In addition to More Legend Options, there are five options for legend placement: None, Right, Top, Left, and Bottom.

    How to add a legend in Excel

  2. Legend placement will depend on the style and format of your chart. Check the option that looks best on your chart. Here is our chart when we click the Right legend placement.

    Where to add legend in Excel

To Add Lines: Lines are not available for clustered column charts. However, in other chart types where you only compare two variables, you can add lines (e.g. target, average, reference, etc.) to your chart by checking the appropriate option.

To Add a Trendline:

  1. Click Add Chart Element and click Trendline. In addition to More Trendline Options, there are five options: None (default), Linear, Exponential, Linear Forecast, and Moving Average. Check the appropriate option for your data set. In this example, we will click Linear.

    Add a trendline in Excel

  2. Because we are comparing five different products over time, Excel creates a trendline for each individual product. To create a linear trendline for Product A, click Product A and click the blue OK button.

    Add a linear trendline in Excel

  3. The chart will now display a dotted trendline to represent the linear progression of Product A. Note that Excel has also added Linear (Product A) to the legend.

    How to display linear progression in Excel chart

  4. To display the trendline equation on your chart, double click the trendline. A Format Trendline window will open on the right side of your screen. Click the box next to Display equation on chart at the bottom of the window. The equation now appears on your chart.

    How to format a trendline in Excel chart

Note: You can create separate trendlines for as many variables in your chart as you like. For example, here is our chart with trendlines for Product A and Product C. 

How to make multiple trendlines on Excel chart

To Add Up/Down Bars: Up/Down Bars are not available for a column chart, but you can use them in a line chart to show increases and decreases among data points.

Step 4: Adjust Quick Layout

  1. The second dropdown menu on the toolbar is Quick Layout, which allows you to quickly change the layout of elements in your chart (titles, legend, clusters etc.).

    How to change layout of elements in Excel chart

  2. There are 11 quick layout options. Hover your cursor over the different options for an explanation and click the one you want to apply.

    Different layout options for chart in Excel

Step 5: Change Colors

The next dropdown menu in the toolbar is Change Colors. Click the icon and choose the color palette that fits your needs (these needs could be aesthetic, or to match your brand’s colors and style).

Color palette for Excel charts

Step 6: Change Style

For cluster column charts, there are 14 chart styles available. Excel will default to Style 1, but you can select any of the other styles to change the chart appearance. Use the arrow on the right of the image bar to view other options.

Chart styles in Excel

Step 7: Switch Row/Column

  1. Click the Switch Row/Column on the toolbar to flip the axes. Note: It is not always intuitive to flip axes for every chart, for example, if you have more than two variables.

    Flip axis on excel chart

In this example, switching the row and column swaps the product and year (profit remains on the y-axis). The chart is now clustered by product (not year), and the color-coded legend refers to the year (not product). To avoid confusion here, click on the legend and change the titles from Series to Years.

How to flip axis on Excel chart

Step 8: Select Data

  1. Click the Select Data icon on the toolbar to change the range of your data.
  2. A window will open. Type the cell range you want and click the OK button. The chart will automatically update to reflect this new data range.

    Changing data range in Excel chart

Step 9: Change Chart Type

  1. Click the Change Chart Type dropdown menu.

    How to change chart type in Excel

  2. Here you can change your chart type to any of the nine chart categories that Excel offers. Of course, make sure that your data is appropriate for the chart type you choose.

    Different types of charts in Excel

  3. You can also save your chart as a template by clicking Save as Template

  4. A dialogue box will open where you can name your template. Excel will automatically create a folder for your templates for easy organization. Click the blue Save button.

    Create a chart template in Excel

Step 10: Move Chart

  1. Click the Move Chart icon on the far right of the toolbar.
  2. A dialogue box appears where you can choose where to place your chart. You can either create a new sheet with this chart (New sheet) or place this chart as an object in another sheet (Object in). Click the blue OK button.

    How to move an Excel chart

Step 11: Change Formatting

  1. The Format tab allows you to change formatting of all elements and text in the chart, including colors, size, shape, fill, and alignment, and the ability to insert shapes. Click the Format tab and use the shortcuts available to create a chart that reflects your organization’s brand (colors, images, etc.).

    Change chart format in Excel

  2. Click the dropdown menu on the top left side of the toolbar and click the chart element you are editing.

    How to change chart formatting in Excel

Step 12: Delete a Chart 

To delete a chart, simply click on it and click the Delete key on your keyboard.

A picture is worth of thousand words; a chart is worth of thousand sets of data. In this tutorial, we are going to learn how we can use graph in Excel to visualize our data.

What is a chart?

A chart is a visual representative of data in both columns and rows. Charts are usually used to analyse trends and patterns in data sets. Let’s say you have been recording the sales figures in Excel for the past three years. Using charts, you can easily tell which year had the most sales and which year had the least. You can also draw charts to compare set targets against actual achievements.

We will use the following data for this tutorial.

Note: we will be using Excel 2013. If you have a lower version, then some of the more advanced features may not be available to you.

Item 2012 2013 2014 2015
Desktop Computers 20 12 13 12
Laptops 34 45 40 39
Monitors 12 10 17 15
Printers 78 13 90 14

Different scenarios require different types of charts. Towards this end, Excel provides a number of chart types that you can work with. The type of chart that you choose depends on the type of data that you want to visualize. To help simplify things for the users, Excel 2013 and above has an option that analyses your data and makes a recommendation of the chart type that you should use.

The following table shows some of the most commonly used Excel charts and when you should consider using them.

S/N CHART TYPE WHEN SHOULD I USE IT? EXAMPLE
1 Pie Chart When you want to quantify items and show them as percentages.

Visualizing data using charts in Excel

2 Bar Chart When you want to compare values across a few categories. The values run horizontally

Visualizing data using charts in Excel

3 Column chart When you want to compare values across a few categories. The values run vertically

Visualizing data using charts in Excel

4 Line chart When you want to visualize trends over a period of time i.e. months, days, years, etc.

Visualizing data using charts in Excel

5 Combo Chart When you want to highlight different types of information

Visualizing data using charts in Excel

The importance of charts

  • Allows you to visualize data graphically
  • It’s easier to analyse trends and patterns using charts in MS Excel
  • Easy to interpret compared to data in cells

Step by step example of creating charts in Excel

In this tutorial, we are going to plot a simple column chart in Excel that will display the sold quantities against the sales year. Below are the steps to create chart in MS Excel:

  • Open Excel
  • Enter the data from the sample data table above
  • Your workbook should now look as follows

Visualizing data using charts in Excel

To get the desired chart you have to follow the following steps

Visualizing data using charts in Excel

  • Select the data you want to represent in graph
  • Click on INSERT tab from the ribbon
  • Click on the Column chart drop down button
  • Select the chart type you want

You should be able to see the following chart

Visualizing data using charts in Excel

Tutorial Exercise

When you select the chart, the ribbon activates the following tab

Visualizing data using charts in Excel

Try to apply the different chart styles, and other options presented in your chart.

Download the above Excel Template

Summary

Charts are a powerful way of graphically visualizing your data. Excel has many types of charts that you can use depending on your needs.

Conditional formatting is also another power formatting feature of Excel that helps us easily see the data that meets a specified condition

How to Make Charts or Graphs in Excel?

Steps in making graphs in Excel:

  1. Numerical Data: The first thing required in your Excel is numerical data. Charts or graphs can only be built using numerical data sets.
  2. Data Headings: These are often called data labels. The headings of each column should be understandable and readable.
  3. Data in Proper Order: It is very important how the data looks in Excel. If the information to build a chart is bits and pieces, we might find it difficult to construct a chart. So arrange the data properly.
Table of contents
  • How to Make Charts or Graphs in Excel?
    • Examples (Step by Step)
      • Example #1
      • Example #2
    • Things to Remember
    • Recommended Articles

Examples (Step by Step)

Below are some examples of how to make charts in Excel.

You can download this Make Chart Excel Template here – Make Chart Excel Template

Example #1

Assume we have passed six years of sales data. We want to show them in visuals or graphs.
Make Chart Example 1

  1. First, we must select the date range we are using for a graph.

    Make Chart Example 1-1

  2. Then, go to the “INSERT” tab > under the “Charts” section, and select the “COLUMN” chart. We can see many other types under the “Column” chart but prefer the first one.

    Make Chart Example 1-2

  3. As soon as we have selected the chart, we can see the below chart in Excel.

    Make Chart Example 1-3

  4. It is not the finished product yet. We need to make some arrangements here. So, we must select the blue-colored bars and press the “Delete” button. Else, right-click on bars and choose “Delete.”

    Make Chart Example 1-4

  5. Now, we do not know which bar represents which year. So, right-click on the chart and select “Select Data.”

    Make Chart Example 1-5

  6. In the below window, we must click on “EDIT,” which is on the right-hand side.

    Make Chart Example 1-6

  7. After we click on the “EDIT option,” we will see a small dialog box below. It will ask to select the “Horizontal Axis Labels.” So, choose the “Year” column.

    Make Chart Example 1-7

  8. Now, we have the “Year” name below each bar.

    Make Chart Example 1-8

  9. After that, change the heading or title of the chart as per the requirement by double-clicking on the existing header.

    Make Chart Example 1-9

  10. Add “Data Labels” for each bar. The “Data Labels” are each bar’s numbers to convey the message perfectly. Right-click on the column bars and select “Add Data Labels.”

    Make Chart Example 1-10

  11. Change the color of the column bars to different colors. Next, select the bars and press “Ctrl + 1.” We may see the format chart dialog box on the right-hand side.

    Make Chart Example 1-11

  12. Now, go to the “FILL” option, and select the option “Vary colors by point.”

    Make Chart Example 1-12

    Now, we have a neatly arranged chart in front of us.

    Make Chart Example 1-13

Example #2

We have seen how to create a graph with auto-selection of the data range. Next, we will show you how to build an Excel chart with a manual data selection.

  • Step 1: First, we must place the cursor in the empty cell and click on the “Insert Chart.”

click on the insert chart

  • Step 2: After we click on the “Insert Chart,” we can see a blank chart.

Make Chart Example 2-1

  • Step 3: Right-click on the chart and choose the “Select Data” option.

right-click on the chart and chose Select Data option

  • Step 4: In the below window, click on “Add.”

select data source

  • Step 5: In the below window, under “Series name,” select the heading of the data series, and under the “Series values,” select data series values.

Edit Series

  • Step 6: Now, the default chart is ready.

Make Chart Example 2-5

Now, we must apply the steps shown in the previous example to modify the chart. Next, refer to steps 5 to 12 to alter the chart.

Things to Remember

  • For the same data, we can insert all types of charts. It is important to identify a suitable chart.
  • If the data is smaller, it is easy to plot a graph without any hurdles.
  • In the case of percentage data, we must select the PIE chartMaking a pie chart in excel can help you with the pictorial representation of your data and simplifies the analysis process. There are multiple kinds of pie chart options available on excel to serve the varying user needs.read more.
  • We must try using different charts for the same data to identify the best fit chart for the data set.

Recommended Articles

This article is a guide to Making Charts in Excel. Here, we discuss how to make charts or graphs in Excel, practical examples, and a downloadable Excel template. You may learn more about Excel from the following articles: –

  • Organization Chart in Excel
  • Examples of Line Chart in Excel
  • Excel Chart Templates
  • 8 Types of Charts in Excel
  • Infographics in Excel

Reader Interactions

Понравилась статья? Поделить с друзьями:
  • Create a booking form in word
  • Create a bar chart in excel
  • Crazy word for the day
  • Crash out the word
  • Craft the word торрент