Excel: Creating charts

Objectives:

 

Using Excel help (F1):

In What would you like to do? Type Chart

In Select topic to display: click on Create a chart.

In the Create a chart window, click on and read all of the topics.

 

Excel Bible: Chapters 16 and 17

 

Charts

To create a chart in Excel, you must carry out the following steps in order. Here is a copy of the file used in the examples.
1.   Select the data

Select data to be charted before doing anything else. The selection must include not only the numbers to be plotted, but any labels for the x-axis and y-axis. Data selections do not need to be adjacent, but all must be same height or width. If you could place them together, they must form a rectangle. NOTE: For each row or column that you select, it must be a continuous selection. You cannot stop halfway down a column of numbers and do a <ctrl>+<click> and continue. Excel will interpret this as two ranges of number to be plotted rather than one and your chart will not look anything like what you want it to look like.

2.   Invoke the chart wizard

Invoke Chart Wizard (“Insert” | “Chart”), or click on the Chart Wizard button on the toolbar

2.1         Select the desired chart type

ChartWizard Step 1: Select the desired chart type from the list box on the left, and the appropriate sub-type from the pictures on the right, then click on “Next”

2.2         Verify that your data has been correctly selected

Verify that the data range is correct. If the related data (all of the points that make up the same line in a line chart, e.g.) are in columns make sure that the "columns" option button is selected; if they are in rows, select the "rows" button. Verify your data series and your x-axis labels by clicking on the "Series" tab. When you are sure your selections are correct, click on “Next”. Note that the example below is not correct. The values in column A are not supposed to be charted, but are to appear on the x-axis at the bottom of the chart. This can be fixed by clicking on the "Series" tab.

 

This is what you will see when you click on the "Series" tab. Note that the "Series" list (bottom left part of the dialog box) only has the Network TV column in it. The Year column was removed by selecting it and clicking on the "Remove" button. Note also that the "Category (x) axis labels" box has the range "A3:A14" – indicating that the values in A3 through A14 are to be placed along the bottom of the chart. Note that the word "Year" is not included – we do not want it to appear below the x-axis.

 

2.3         Set the chart options

·         "Titles" tab: enter chart title, x-axis title, and y-axis title.

·         "Axes" tab: use this to turn labels on the x-axis and y-axis on and off.

·         "Gridlines" tab: turn horizontal and vertical gridlines on and off.

·         "Legend" tab: turn legend on and off, and control its placement.

·         "Data Labels" tab: use this if you want numbers displayed with each data point.

·         "Data Table" tab: use this is you want the table displayed as part of the chart.

 

2.4         Select your chart location

You have a choice of putting the new chart on a sheet by itself, or as an "object" in the current sheet. A chart will almost always look better if you put it on a separate sheet.

3      Customize your chart

Customizing (formatting) Excel charts is fairly simple. It works the same way that formatting the spreadsheet works: First you select the item you want to format (in a chart, however, "handles" –little black boxes -- will appear around your selection), then you right-click to invoke a popup menu that almost always has the formatting options that you want on it.

 

To change this in your chart:

Do this:

Font attributes for any part of the chart

Select the part you want to change, then choose font name, font size, font attribute, or font color from menu or toolbars

Format x-axis labels

Select the x-axis, right-click, choose “FOrmat axis”, choose desired formatting tab and attributes.

Format y-axis labels

Select the y-axis, right-click, choose “FOrmat axis”, choose desired formatting tab and attributes

Move a title or legend

Select the title or legend, move tip of cursor to edge of selection box (it will turn into a white arrow), then drag the box.

Delete a title or legend

Select the title or legend, then press “Delete” key.

Add a title

Right-click anywhere on the chart, choose "Chart Options" | "Title" tab

Add a legend

Right-click anywhere on the chart, choose "Chart Options" | "Legend" tab

Delete grid lines

Select any grid line, right-click, choose "ClEar"

Add grid lines

Right-click anywhere on the background, choose "Chart Options" | "Gridlines" tab

Format the background

Right-click anywhere on the background, choose “FOrmat plot area”, then choose color, pattern, border, etc.

Format the bars/lines

Right-click on a bar/line, then choose “FOrmat data series”

Print a chart on a page by itself

Double-click on chart, then choose “File” | “Print”

 

 

Revised 2005.02.23