Word for Microsoft 365 Word 2021 Word 2019 Word 2016 Word 2013 Word 2010 Word Starter 2010 More…Less
You can make a chart in Word. If you have lots of data to chart, create your chart in Excel, and then copy from Excel to another Office program. This is also the best way if your data changes regularly and you want your chart to always reflect the latest numbers. In that case, when you copy the chart, keep it linked to the original Excel file.
To create a simple chart from scratch in Word, click Insert > Chart, and pick the chart you want.
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Click Insert > Chart.
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Click the chart type and then double-click the chart you want.
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In the spreadsheet that appears, replace the default data with your own information.
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When you’ve finished, close the spreadsheet.
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If you want, use the Layout Options button
to arrange the chart and text in your document.
to arrange the chart and text in your document.You can make a chart in Word or Excel. If you have lots of data to chart, create your chart in Excel, and then copy from Excel to another Office program. This is also the best way if your data changes regularly and you want your chart to always reflect the latest numbers. In that case, when you copy the chart, keep it linked to the original Excel file.
To create a simple chart from scratch in Word, click Insert > Chart and pick the chart you want.
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Click Insert > Chart.
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Click the chart type and then double-click the chart you want.
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In the spreadsheet that appears, replace the default data with your own information.
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When you’ve finished, close the spreadsheet.
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If you want, use the Layout Options button
to arrange the chart and text in your document.
Important:
Office 2010 is no longer supported. Upgrade to Microsoft 365 to work anywhere from any device and continue to receive support.
Upgrade now
In Microsoft Word 2010, you can insert many kinds of data charts and graphs, such as column charts, line graphs, pie charts, bar charts, area graphs, scatter graphs, stock charts, surface charts, doughnut charts, bubble graphs, and radar graphs.
Notes:
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Don’t see the chart that you want in this article? For more information about the variety of graphs and charts you can use, see Available chart types.
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Want to create an organization chart? For more information about how to create organization charts, see Create an organization chart.
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If Microsoft Excel 2010 isn’t installed on your computer, you will not be able to take advantage of the advanced data charting capabilities in the Microsoft Office 2010. Instead, when you create a new data chart in Word 2010, Microsoft Graph opens.
How?
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On the Insert tab, in the Illustrations group, click Chart.
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In the Insert Chart dialog box, click the arrows to scroll through the chart types. Select the type of chart that you want and then click OK.
When you rest the mouse pointer over any chart type, a ScreenTip displays its name. |
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Edit the data in Excel 2010. When you are finished editing your data, you can close Excel.
Sample data in an Excel worksheet |
Tips
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To get a good idea of what you can add to or change in your chart, under Chart Tools, click the Design, Layout, and Format tabs, and then explore the groups and options that are provided on each tab.
Note: If you don’t see the Chart Tools, make sure that you click anywhere inside the chart to activate it.
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You can also access design, layout, and formatting features that are available for specific chart elements (such as chart axes or the legend) by right-clicking those chart elements.
More information
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To learn about the available chart types, see Available chart types.
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To edit data in your chart, see Change the data in an existing chart.
Top of Page
See also
Present data in a chart
Need more help?
Charts offer a concise and visually appealing way to present numeric information. This tutorial explains the basics of creating and customizing charts in Microsoft Word. We’ll cover five topics:
- How to insert a chart
- How to update existing data in a chart
- How to resize a chart
- How to reposition a chart
- How to change chart colors
These steps apply to all seventeen of Word’s prebuilt chart types:
| Column | Area | Surface | Histogram | Combo |
| Line | X Y (Scatter) | Radar | Box & Whisker | |
| Pie | Map | Treemap | Waterfall | |
| Bar | Stock | Sunburst | Funnel |
Important Note: Word provides many ways to customize charts—many more than can reasonably be covered in one tutorial. So, this tutorial presents the basic methods I believe will be most useful for the majority of users.
Before we begin…
What about Figures and Graphs?
In the writing world, charts and graphs fall under the umbrella term figures, which also includes photos, drawings, maps, and musical scores.
Graphs are generally considered a type of chart. Therefore, the term chart is used throughout this tutorial. However, all the steps shown here also apply to visuals typically considered to be graphs, such as line graphs.
This tutorial is also available as a YouTube video showing all the steps in real time.
Watch more than 150 other writing-related software tutorials on my YouTube channel.
The images below are from Word for Microsoft 365. The steps are the same in Word 2021, Word 2019, Word 2016, and Word 2013. However, your interface may look slightly different in those older versions of the software.
How to Insert a Chart
- Place your cursor where you want to insert the chart.
- Select the Insert tab in the ribbon.
- Select the Chart button in the Illustrations group.
- Select a chart type from the left side of the Insert Chart dialog box.
Pro Tip: Hover your pointer over the example image in the center of the Insert Chart dialog box to see a larger example of the chosen chart type.
- Select a subtype of the selected chart.
The available subtypes will depend on the selected chart. Common charts such as pie charts and bar charts offer attractive 3-D options.
- Select the OK button to close the Insert Chart dialog box and insert the chart.
- Enter labels and numbers into the spreadsheet by typing over the example data. Add additional labels and numbers or delete the example data as necessary.
- Select the X to close the spreadsheet.
- (Optional Step) Select the Chart Elements button to the right of the chart if you want to add or remove the title, data labels, or the legend. (Click inside the border to select the chart if the right-side buttons are not visible.)
How to Update Existing Data in a Chart
- Right-click the chart.
- Select Edit Data from the shortcut menu.
Pro Tip: Select the arrow next to Edit Data and select Edit Data in Excel if you want to update your chart in Excel rather than Word’s spreadsheet.
- Edit your data in the spreadsheet (see figure 6).
- Select the X to close the spreadsheet and apply your changes (see figure 7).
How to Resize a Chart
Charts can be resized by dragging the border or by using exact dimensions (e.g., 3” x 4”).
Basic Method: Resize a Chart by Dragging the Border
- Click inside the border to reveal the resizing handles.
- Click and hold one of the handles as you drag the chart to the appropriate size.
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- The corner handles provide movement in all directions.
- The side handles provide horizontal movement.
- The top and bottom handles provide vertical movement.
Advanced Method: Resize a Chart to Exact Dimensions
- Click inside the border to select the chart.
- Select the Layout Options button to the right of the chart.
- Select See more from the Layout Options menu.
- Select the Size tab in the Layout dialog box.
- (Optional Step) Select Lock aspect ratio if you want to maintain the current shape.
- Enter the dimensions in the Height and Width boxes. If you selected Lock aspect ratio, you only have to enter one of these numbers.
- Select the OK button to close the Layout dialog box and apply your new dimensions.
How to Reposition a Chart
You can customize your chart’s placement on the page by changing its alignment and text wrapping. Text wrapping determines how charts and other figures are positioned in relation to the surrounding text.
- Select the Home tab in the ribbon.
- Click inside the border to select the chart.
- Select the Align Left, Center, or Align Right button in the Paragraph group.
- (Optional Step) Select the Layout Options button to the right of the chart for text wrapping options.
Your position changes will be applied immediately.
How to Change Chart Colors
You can choose a prebuilt color palette for your whole chart or select custom colors for individual elements.
See the bonus section below for information about using RGB, HSL, and Hex color codes.
Basic Method: Choose a Prebuilt Color Palette
- Click inside the border to select the chart.
- Select the Chart Styles button to the right of the chart.
- Select the Color tab in the shortcut menu.
- Select a color palette.
Your new color palette will be applied immediately.
Advanced Method: Choose Custom Colors
- Select and then right-click the individual chart element you want to change.
- Select the Fill button in the shortcut menu.
- Select a color from the drop-down menu or choose More Fill Colors for additional options.
Your new color will be applied immediately.
Bonus Section: How to Use RGB, HSL, and Hex Color Codes in a Chart
Word lets you use RGB (Red, Green, Blue) and HSL (Hue, Saturation, Lightness) color codes in your charts. In addition, you can use Hex color codes if you are using an updated version of Word for Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365).
- Select and then right-click the individual chart element you want to change.
- Select the Fill button in the shortcut menu (see figure 23).
- Select More Fill Colors from the drop-down menu.
- Select the Custom tab in the Colors dialog box.
- Select RGB or HSL from the Color model menu or enter a code in the Hex box.
- Enter your RGB or HSL code into the appropriate boxes. (Skip this step if you are using a Hex code.)
- Select the OK button to close the Colors dialog box and apply your color change.
Related Resources
Three Ways to Insert Tables in Microsoft Word
How to Save Tables and Figures as Images in Microsoft Word (PC & Mac)
How to Update Table and Figure Numbers in Microsoft Word
How to Change the Style of Table Titles and Figure Captions in Microsoft Word
How to Create and Update a List of Tables or Figures in Microsoft Word
How to Write Figure Captions for Graphs, Charts, Photos, Drawings, and Maps
How to Write Table Titles
How to Reference Tables and Figures in Text
Updated November 27, 2022
To create a simple chart from scratch in Word, click Insert > Chart and pick the chart you want.
- Click Insert > Chart.
- Click the chart type and then double-click the chart you want.
- In the spreadsheet that appears, replace the default data with your own information.
- When you’ve finished, close the spreadsheet.
Contents
- 1 How do I make an XY chart in Word?
- 2 How do I make a bar chart in Word?
- 3 How do you insert a chart page in Word?
- 4 How do I make a Chart?
- 5 What is Chart in MS Word?
- 6 How do you make a simple flow chart?
- 7 Does Microsoft Word have a flow chart template?
- 8 Where is the Design tab in Word?
- 9 How do you make a grid on Microsoft Word?
- 10 How do I create a chart in PowerPoint?
- 11 What is chart and diagram?
- 12 What is a table chart?
- 13 How do I make a column chart?
- 14 How do I make a bar chart?
- 15 How do I use Excel to make a bar graph?
- 16 How do you change the chart style in Word?
- 17 How do you make a graph on the computer?
- 18 Is it easier to make a flowchart in Excel or Word?
- 19 What is the best Microsoft Office program to make a flowchart?
- 20 How do I make a flowchart in office?
How do I make an XY chart in Word?
Step 1: Open the Word document. Step 2: Go to the Insert tab on the ribbon and click on the Chart option under the Illustrations group. Step 3: An Insert Charts dialog box will appear on the screen. Select the XY (Scatter) option from the left pane and pick a line graph that you want to insert.
How do I make a bar chart in Word?
The following guide provides step by step instructions for how to create a bar chart in Microsoft Word. Open Microsoft Word, go to the “insert” tab on the ribbon, and select the “chart” icon. Once the “chart” wizard window has opened, select “column” and then select “clustered bar type.” Then select “OK.”
How do you insert a chart page in Word?
Go to Ribbon > Design tab. Then, click the Page Color button and choose Fill Effects from the dropdown. Click the Pattern tab to display the design choices available to you. For example, to make a typical graph paper in Word, you can choose the Small grid or Large grid pattern.
How do I make a Chart?
Create a chart
- Select the data for which you want to create a chart.
- Click INSERT > Recommended Charts.
- On the Recommended Charts tab, scroll through the list of charts that Excel recommends for your data, and click any chart to see how your data will look.
- When you find the chart you like, click it > OK.
What is Chart in MS Word?
A chart is a tool you can use to communicate data graphically. Including a chart in your document can allow your reader to see the meaning behind the numbers, and it can make showing comparisons and trends easier.
How do you make a simple flow chart?
How to make a flowchart in a few simple steps:
- Determine the purpose or function of the flowchart.
- Add steps and connect them with arrows.
- Add decisions or split paths.
- Show any loops back to previous steps.
- Insert your flowchart into Microsoft Word®, Excel®, PowerPoint® or any other app.
Does Microsoft Word have a flow chart template?
A flowchart or flow chart usually shows steps of the task, process, or workflow. Microsoft Word provides many predefined SmartArt templates that you can use to make a flowchart, including visually appealing basic flowchart templates with pictures.
Where is the Design tab in Word?
If the Design tab is missing from your current installation, choose the “Main Tabs” option from the pulldown on the right, then turn on the checkbox for the “Design” main tab. Use the up or down buttons on the far right to move position of the selected tab within the main ribbon area.
How do you make a grid on Microsoft Word?
To show the gridlines, in Excel, PowerPoint, or Word, click the View tab, and then check the Gridlines box.
How do I create a chart in PowerPoint?
To create a simple chart from scratch in PowerPoint, click Insert > Chart and pick the chart you want. On the Insert tab, in the Illustrations group, click Chart. In the Insert Chart dialog box, click the arrows to scroll through the chart types. Select the type of chart that you want and then click OK.
What is chart and diagram?
As nouns the difference between diagram and chart
is that diagram is a plan, drawing, sketch or outline to show how something works, or show the relationships between the parts of a whole while chart is a map.
What is a table chart?
A table chart is a means of arranging data in rows and columns. The use of tables is pervasive throughout all communication, research and data analysis. Tables appear in print media, handwritten notes, computer software, architectural ornamentation, traffic signs and many other places.
How do I make a column chart?
To create a column chart, follow these steps:
- Enter data in a spreadsheet.
- Select the data.
- Depending on the Excel version you’re using, select one of the following options: Excel 2016: Click Insert > Insert Column or Bar Chart icon, and select a column chart option of your choice.
How do I make a bar chart?
Construction of a Bar Graph
Draw two perpendicular lines intersecting each other at a point O. The vertical line is the y-axis and the horizontal is the x-axis. Choose a suitable scale to determine the height of each bar. On the horizontal line, draw the bars at equal distance with corresponding heights.
How do I use Excel to make a bar graph?
To insert a bar chart in Microsoft Excel, open your Excel workbook and select your data. You can do this manually using your mouse, or you can select a cell in your range and press Ctrl+A to select the data automatically. Once your data is selected, click Insert > Insert Column or Bar Chart.
How do you change the chart style in Word?
Select a predefined chart style
- Click the chart that you want to format. This displays the Chart Tools, adding the Design, Layout, and Format tabs.
- On the Design tab, in the Chart Styles group, click the chart style that you want to use. Tip: To see all predefined chart styles, click More .
How do you make a graph on the computer?
How to make a graph in Excel or Google Drive
- First you’ll need to put your data into a new spreadsheet so open up a new on and get typing.
- Select all the data you want to show in the graph – Make sure you include the titles so you know what’s what on the graph.
- Click on Insert then on the chart or graph of your choice.
Is it easier to make a flowchart in Excel or Word?
This is an minor difference of convenience, but Excel makes formatting flowchart shapes easier than Word.When clicking it, the dialog box in Excel centralizes the flowchart shape formatting options in one place, whereas Word has half as many the formatting options in its dialog box.
What is the best Microsoft Office program to make a flowchart?
Of the standard Microsoft Office applications – Excel Word, PowerPoint – Excel is the most powerful and user friendly for creating flowcharts (disclosure: we make a flowchart automation add-in for Excel), but in some cases creating flowcharts in Word is handy.
How do I make a flowchart in office?
Create a flowchart
- Click the File tab.
- Click New, click Flowchart, and then under Available Templates, click Basic Flowchart.
- Click Create.
- For each step in the process that you are documenting, drag a flowchart shape onto your drawing.
- Connect the flowchart shapes in either of the following ways.
Microsoft Word offers several graphing tools such as pie charts, scatter graphs, and stock charts to help users create infographics and data visualizations. This guide will run you through the steps for creating custom charts in Microsoft Word.
How to insert charts into a Microsoft Word document?
- Open your Word document and click on the Insert > Illustrations > Charts.
- Word will open a menu titled Insert Chart.
- Select the type of chart you’d like to create and then choose the desired template:
- Click on OK to insert the selected chart into the document. By default, the chart will insert at your current cursor position.
- Word will also create a data sheet (Excel table) for the chart. Any modifications made to the data sheet will be automatically carried over to the new chart.
How to customize your Microsoft Word chart?
- Open your Word document, select the desired chart and then go to Chart Tools > Design tab. Here, you will be able to edit the chart to your liking.
N.B. You’ll find additional customization options under the Layout and Format tabs.
Do you need more help with word? Check out our forum!
Sometimes documents you’re authoring can benefit from an illustrative chart. Rather than taking the time to set up a chart in another application and embedding it or copying and pasting it into Microsoft Word, you can use the built-in chart feature.
RELATED: How to Link or Embed an Excel Worksheet in a Word Document
Create a Chart in Word
You might be creating a company report, business proposal, or college essay where a data-filled visual is an ideal addition.
Place your cursor where you want the chart in your Word document. Then, go to the Insert tab and click “Chart” in the Illustrations section of the ribbon.
Pick the type of chart you want to add on the left and the style on the right. If you’re familiar with the chart options in Excel, you can choose from the same types in Word like bar, column, pie, line, and many others. Click “OK” to insert the chart.
Once you insert the chart, an Excel spreadsheet will open. The sheet contains sample data to get you started and is a stripped-down version of Excel without tabs or a ribbon.
You can edit the data in the spreadsheet to include your own or copy and paste the data from another spot into the attached sheet. You’ll then see the chart in Word immediately update with your changes.
RELATED: How to Choose a Chart to Fit Your Data in Microsoft Excel
Update the Chart Data
Anytime you want to update the data for the chart, you can do so by heading to the Chart Design tab.
Click the drop-down arrow for Edit Data. Select “Edit Data” to display the small spreadsheet you had when you created the chart, or select “Edit Data in Excel” to open the sheet in a standard Excel window with tabs and a ribbon.
Customize a Chart in Word
Once you insert the chart into Word with the data you want, you can make some customizations. You can add a title, adjust the colors, pick a theme, include a legend, and more. Again, if you’re familiar with customizing charts in Excel, you’ll recognize the below options.
RELATED: How to Create and Customize a Funnel Chart in Microsoft Excel
Use the Chart Design Tab
Select the chart and go to the Chart Design tab. Starting on the left side of the ribbon you can add, remove, and position chart elements, change the layout, pick new colors, and select a style.
On the right side of the Chart Design ribbon, you have an option for Change Chart Type. If you believe a different type of graph would work better with your data, you can select it here.
Open the Format Chart Sidebar
If you’d like to change the font, border, or specifics of the chart like a series or axis, you can use the Format Chart sidebar.
Right-click the chart and pick “Format Chart Area” or double-click the chart.
When the sidebar opens, click the arrow next to Chart Options to select a part of the chart to adjust.
Use the tabs at the top of the sidebar for fill and line colors, effects, and properties. These tabs change depending on the chart area you select in the drop-down list.
Use the Floating Buttons on Windows
If you’re using Word on Windows, you also have floating buttons for quick changes to your chart. Select the graph, and these will display on the right side.
You can then change the Layout Options for the chart’s placement within the text. You can also use the Chart Elements, Chart Styles, and Chart Filters buttons to adjust items on the chart, choose a color scheme, and apply filters.
By creating a chart directly in Microsoft Word, you can save yourself a bit of time. This is especially handy if you’re using a small amount of data that’s beneficial to your Word document.
If you’re interested in other ways to use charts in your documents, take a look at how to create a flowchart in Word.
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