Present data in a chart (2024)

Getting to know the elements of a chart

A chart has many elements. Some of these elements are displayed by default, others can be added as needed. You can change the display of the chart elements by moving them to other locations in the chart, resizing them, or by changing the format. You can also remove chart elements that you do not want to display.

1. The chart area of the chart.

2. The plot area of the chart.

3. The data points of the data series that are plotted in the chart.

4. The horizontal (category) and vertical (value) axis along which the data is plotted in the chart.

5. The legend of the chart.

6. A chart and axis title that you can use in the chart.

7. A data label that you can use to identify the details of a data point in a data series.

Modifying a basic chart to meet your needs

After you create a chart, you can modify any one of its elements. For example, you might want to change the way that axes are displayed, add a chart title, move or hide the legend, or display additional chart elements.

To modify a chart, you can:

• Change the display of chart axesYou can specify the scale of axes and adjust the interval between the values or categories that are displayed. To make your chart easier to read, you can also add tick marks to an axis, and specify the interval at which they will appear.

• Add titles and data labels to a chartTo help clarify the information that appears in your chart, you can add a chart title, axis titles, and data labels.

• Add a legend or data table You can show or hide a legend, change its location, or modify the legend entries. In some charts, you can also show a data table that displays the legend keys and the values that are presented in the chart.

• Apply special options for each chart typeSpecial lines (such as high-low lines and trendlines), bars (such as up-down bars and error bars), data markers, and other options are available for different chart types.

Adding eye-catching formatting to a chart

In addition to applying a predefined chart style, you can easily apply formatting to individual chart elements such as data markers, the chart area, the plot area, and the numbers and text in titles and labels to give your chart a custom, eye-catching look. You can apply specific shape styles and WordArt styles, and you can also format the shapes and text of chart elements manually.

To add formatting, you can:

• Fill chart elementsYou can use colors, textures, pictures, and gradient fills to help draw attention to specific chart elements.

• Change the outline of chart elementsYou can use colors, line styles, and line weights to emphasize chart elements.

• Add special effects to chart elementsYou can apply special effects, such as shadow, reflection, glow, soft edges, bevel, and 3-D rotation to chart element shapes, which gives your chart a finished look.

• Format text and numbersYou can format text and numbers in titles, labels, and text boxes on a chart as you would text and numbers on a worksheet. To make text and numbers stand out, you can even apply WordArt styles.

Reusing charts by creating chart templates

If you want to reuse a chart that you customized to meet your needs, you can save that chart as a chart template (*.crtx) in the chart templates folder. When you create a chart, you can then apply the chart template just as you would any other built-in chart type. In fact, chart templates are custom chart types— you can also use them to change the chart type of an existing chart. If you use a specific chart template frequently, you can save it as the default chart type.

Top of Page

Insert a chart by embedding it in your document

When you embed an Excel chart, information in the Word file doesn't change if you modify the source Excel file. Embedded objects become part of the Word file and, after they are inserted, they are no longer part of the source file.

Because the information is totally contained in one Word document, embedding is useful when you don't want the information to reflect changes in the source file, or when you don't want the document recipients to be concerned with updating the linked information.

1. In your Word document, click Insert > Chart.

   

2. Select the type of chart you want, such as column or pie chart, and click OK. (If you’re not sure which to choose, move down the All Charts list to preview each type.)

   

3. Enter your data into the spreadsheet that automatically opens with the chart. The chart will update to match the data after you finish typing data into one cell and move to the next.

Top of Page

Paste a linked Excel chart into your document

You can create and copy a chart in an external Excel worksheet, and paste a linked version of the chart into your Word document. When a chart is linked, information can be updated if the external Excel worksheet is modified. Linked data is stored in the Excel worksheet. The Word document stores only the location of the source file, and it displays a representation of the linked data.

Linking is also useful when you want to include information that is maintained independently, such as data collected by a different department, and when you need to keep that information up-to-date in a Word document. For more information about creating charts in Excel, see Create a chart.

1. In Excel, select the chart by clicking its border, and then on the Home tab, in the Clipboard group, click Cut.

   The chart is removed, but the data remains in Excel.

2. In Word, click where you want to insert the chart in the document.

3. On the Home tab, in the Clipboard group, click Paste.

   The Paste Options button indicates that the chart is linked to data in Excel.

4. Save the Word document with the chart that you linked to data in Excel.

   When you reopen the Word document, click Yes to update the Excel data.

You can also create visual representations of information by using SmartArt graphics. For more information, see Create a SmartArt graphic.

Top of Page

Arrange the Excel worksheet data

For most charts, such as column and bar charts, you can plot the data that you arrange in rows or columns on a worksheet into a chart. However, some chart types (such as pie and bubble charts) require a specific data arrangement.

1. On the worksheet, arrange the data that you want to plot in a chart.

   The data can be arranged in rows or columns— Excel automatically determines the best way to plot the data in the chart. Some chart types (such as pie and bubble charts) require a specific data arrangement as described in the following table.

   For this chart type	Arrange the data
   Column, bar, line, area, surface, or radar chart	In columns or rows, such as: Lorem Ipsum 1 2 3 4 Or: Lorem 1 3 Ipsum 2 4
   Pie or doughnut chart	For one data series, in one column or row of data and one column or row of data labels, such as: A 1 B 2 C 3 Or: A B C 1 2 3 For multiple data series, in multiple columns or rows of data and one column or row of data labels, such as: A 1 2 B 3 4 C 5 6 Or: A B C 1 2 3 4 5 6
   XY (scatter) or bubble chart	In columns, placing x values in the first column and corresponding y values and bubble size values in adjacent columns, like: X Y Bubble size 1 2 3 4 5 6
   Stock chart	In columns or rows in the following order, using names or dates as labels: high values, low values, and closing values Like: Date High Low Close 1/1/2002 46.125 42 44.063 Or: Date 1/1/2002 High 46.125 Low 42 Close 44.063

2. Select the cells that contain the data that you want to use for the chart.

   Tip:If you select only one cell, Excel automatically plots all cells that contain data that is adjacent to that cell into a chart. If the cells that you want to plot in a chart are not in a continuous range, you can select nonadjacent cells or ranges as long as the selection forms a rectangle. You can also hide the rows or columns that you do not want to plot in the chart.

   How to select cells, ranges, rows, or columns

   To select	Do this
   A single cell	Click the cell, or press the arrow keys to move to the cell.
   A range of cells	Click the first cell in the range, and then drag to the last cell, or hold down SHIFT while you press the arrow keys to extend the selection. You can also select the first cell in the range, and then press F8 to extend the selection by using the arrow keys. To stop extending the selection, press F8 again.
   A large range of cells	Click the first cell in the range, and then hold down SHIFT while you click the last cell in the range. You can scroll to make the last cell visible.
   All cells on a worksheet	Click the Select All button. To select the entire worksheet, you can also press CTRL+A. If the worksheet contains data, CTRL+A selects the current region. Pressing CTRL+A a second time selects the entire worksheet.
   Nonadjacent cells or cell ranges	Select the first cell or range of cells, and then hold down CTRL while you select the other cells or ranges. You can also select the first cell or range of cells, and then press SHIFT+F8 to add another nonadjacent cell or range to the selection. To stop adding cells or ranges to the selection, press SHIFT+F8 again. Note:You cannot cancel the selection of a cell or range of cells in a nonadjacent selection without canceling the entire selection.
   An entire row or column	Click the row or column heading. 1. Row heading 2. Column heading You can also select cells in a row or column by selecting the first cell and then pressing CTRL+SHIFT+ARROW key (RIGHT ARROW or LEFT ARROW for rows, UP ARROW or DOWN ARROW for columns). If the row or column contains data, CTRL+SHIFT+ARROW key selects the row or column to the last used cell. Pressing CTRL+SHIFT+ARROW key a second time selects the entire row or column.
   Adjacent rows or columns	Drag across the row or column headings. Or select the first row or column; then hold down SHIFT while you select the last row or column.
   Nonadjacent rows or columns	Click the column or row heading of the first row or column in your selection; then hold down CTRL while you click the column or row headings of other rows or columns that you want to add to the selection.
   The first or last cell in a row or column	Select a cell in the row or column, and then press CTRL+ARROW key (RIGHT ARROW or LEFT ARROW for rows, UP ARROW or DOWN ARROW for columns).
   The first or last cell on a worksheet or in a Microsoft Office Excel table	Press CTRL+HOME to select the first cell on the worksheet or in an Excel list. Press CTRL+END to select the last cell on the worksheet or in an Excel list that contains data or formatting.
   Cells to the last used cell on the worksheet (lower-right corner)	Select the first cell, and then press CTRL+SHIFT+END to extend the selection of cells to the last used cell on the worksheet (lower-right corner).
   Cells to the beginning of the worksheet	Select the first cell, and then press CTRL+SHIFT+HOME to extend the selection of cells to the beginning of the worksheet.
   More or fewer cells than the active selection	Hold down SHIFT while you click the last cell that you want to include in the new selection. The rectangular range between the active cell and the cell that you click becomes the new selection.

   To cancel a selection of cells, click any cell on the worksheet.

1. On the Insert tab, in the Charts group, do one of the following:

   • Click the chart type, and then click a chart subtype that you want to use.

     See Also

     Graph Editing | Tom Sawyer Software

   • To see all available chart types, click a chart type, and then click All Chart Types or the More menu item to display the Insert Chart dialog box, click the arrows to scroll through all available chart types and chart subtypes, and then click the ones that you want to use.

     

     A ScreenTip displays the chart type name when you rest the mouse pointer over any chart type or chart subtype. For more information about the chart types that you can use, see Available chart types.

2. By default, the chart is placed on the worksheet as an embedded chart. If you want to place the chart in a separate chart sheet, you can change its location by doing the following:

   1. Click the embedded chart to select it.

      This displays the Chart Tools tab.

   2. On the Design tab, in the Location group, click Move Chart.

      

   3. Under Choose where you want the chart to be placed, do one of the following:

      • To display the chart in a chart sheet, click New sheet.

        If you want to replace the suggested name for the chart, you can type a new name in the New sheet box.

      • To display the chart as an embedded chart in a worksheet, click Object in, and then click a worksheet in the Object in box.

• To quickly create a chart that is based on the default chart type, select the data that you want to use for the chart, and then press ALT+F1. When you press ALT+F1, the chart is displayed as an embedded chart.

• When you create a chart, Excel determines the orientation of the data series based on the nnumber of worksheet rows and columns that are included in the chart. After you create a chart, you can change the way that worksheet rows and columns are plotted in the chart by switching rows to columns or vice versa.

• If you no longer need a chart, you can delete it. Click the chart to select it, and then press DELETE.

Top of Page

Apply a predefined chart layout

1. Click the chart that you want to format by using a predefined chart layout.

   This displays the Chart Tools tab, adding the Design and Format tabs.

2. On the Design tab, in the Chart Layouts group, click Quick Layout, and then click the chart layout that you want to use.

   To see all available layouts, click More .

Top of Page

Apply a predefined chart style

1. Click the chart that you want to format by using a predefined chart style.

   This displays the Chart Tools, adding the Design and Format tabs.

2. On the Design tab, in the Chart Styles group, click the chart style that you want to use.

   

   To see all predefined chart styles, click More .

Top of Page

Change the format of chart elements manually

1. Click the chart or the chart element for which you want to change the style, or do the following to select a chart element from a list of chart elements.

   1. Click a chart to display the Chart Tools.

   2. On the Format tab, in the Current Selection group, click the arrow next to the Chart Elements box, and then click the chart element that you want.

      

2. On the Format tab, do any of the following:

   1. To format any selected chart element, in the Current Selection group, click Format Selection, and then select the formatting options that you want.

   2. To format the shape of a selected chart element, in the Shape Styles group, click the style that you want, or click Shape Fill, Shape Outline, or Shape Effects, and then select the formatting options that you want.

   3. To format the text in a selected chart element by using WordArt, in the WordArt Styles group, click the style that you want, or click Text Fill, Text Outline, or Text Effects, and then select the formatting options that you want.

      Note:After you apply a WordArt style, you cannot remove the WordArt format. If you do not want the WordArt style that you applied, you can select another WordArt style, or you can click Undo on the Quick Access Toolbar to return to the previous text format.

      Tip:To use regular text formatting to format the text in chart elements, you can right-click or select the text, and then click the formatting options that you want on the Mini toolbar. You can also use the formatting buttons on the Ribbon (Home tab, Font group).

Top of Page

Add a chart title

1. Click the chart to which you want to add a title, and then click the Chart Elements button.

2. In the Chart Elements list that appears, select Chart Title.

3. In the Chart Title text box that appears in the chart, type the text that you want.

   To insert a line break, click to place the pointer where you want to break the line, and then press ENTER.

4. To format the text, select it, and then click the formatting options that you want on the Mini toolbar.

Top of Page

Add axis titles

1. Click the chart to which you want to add axis titles, and then click the Chart Elements button.

2. In the Chart Elements list that appears, select Axis Titles.

3. Select the axis titles that are added to your chart and type the text that you want.

4. To format the text, select it, and then click the formatting options that you want on the Mini toolbar.

Top of Page

Add data labels

1. Click the chart to which you want to add data labels, and then click the Chart Elements button.

2. In the Chart Elements list that appears, select Data Labels.

3. Select the data labels that are added to your chart and type the text that you want.

   Note:Depending on the chart type that you used, different data label options will be available.

For more information about how to change data label entries or how to reposition data labels, see Add or remove data labels in a chart.

Top of Page

Move a chart

• To move a chart, drag it to the location that you want.

Top of Page

Resize a chart

To resize a chart, do one of the following:

• Click the chart, and then drag the sizing handles to the size that you want.

• On the Format tab, in the Size group, enter the size in the Shape Height and Shape Width box.

  

For more sizing options, on the Format tab, in the Size group, click the Dialog Box Launcher . On the Size tab, you can select options to size, rotate, or scale the chart.

Top of Page