Using the ABC! Method to create CHARTS in EXCEL

Accentuate Labels and Data. Build the Chart. Change its Appearance.

© Mike Splane 2005

Accentuate the Labels and Data

You can use the mouse to highlight (Accentuate) the cells in the worksheet that include the information needed to build a chart. Hold down the Control key to shift the mouse and accent rows or columns of cells that are not next to each other.

The first step is always to accentuate the row or column of labels for the fields of data. If your data will have a name for each row, called a Series Name, your row of labels should start with a blank cell. Highlight that blank cell when you highlight the row.

Next, highlight your data (numbers.) If the rows or columns are not next to one another, hold down the Control key while highlighting different rows.

Each row of data usually starts with a Series Name for the data row. If your data has series names, select these cells when you accentuate the data. The selected rows or columns (including the labels) must contain the same number of cells.

For example: highlight cells C3 to I3 for the labels, hold down Control, highlight cells C6 to I9 for four rows of data, keep holding down Control, and highlight cells: C12 to I12 for a fifth row of data.

Be sure to highlight the labels first. The labels row (or column) must start with a blank cell if you want to include a series name for the rows of data. If your finger slips and you don’t completely highlight all the desired cells in a row or column, start over.

Build the Chart

Click the Chart Wizard icon on the Standard toolbar. The wizard builds the chart. The chart wizard is limited in what it can do, so you will change the appearance of your chart after you build it. For example, the wizard only allows a single line of text for the chart title, but you can change this after the chart is built. You can move both forward and backward through the wizard.

1. Choose one of the available chart types.
2. Look at a preview of the charts and select one. Move to the next page
3. Confirm your data is correct. Move to the next page.
4. Move from tab to tab, left to right, as you move through the third page. Enter the title. Specify additional options. Look at every tab to be sure you have not missed any crucial options. Move to the fourth page.
5. Choose whether the chart is to be created as an embedded chart (an object) within a specific worksheet, or whether it is to be created in its own chart sheet.

Change its Appearance

To change the appearance of any object in the chart: Right-click on it. Choose format. You can change the font, size, color, and style of existing text anywhere in the chart. Graphics can be re-colored and re-sized. You can add shadows to chart elements.

To work with individual data points: (For Example - Pie Wedges) Left click on the data series. All points are selected. Click again on the individual data point. The single point is selected. Left click to drag, right click to format.

To edit the title: Click twice on it. You can insert extra lines (The wizard allows just 1).

To move or resize the legend: Click and drag

To name the chart sheet: Rename the tab by right-clicking on it.

To move the chart: You can resize, move, copy, or delete a chart or any of the objects within the chart. If you resize the chart you may need to resize the fonts inside the chart.

To change the chart after it has been created. You can return to any tab in the wizard. Right click in the chart background. Choose from the four “wizard” options.

To remove a set of data points: Right click within an element of the series. Select clear.

To refresh the chart’s data: A chart is linked to the worksheet on which it is based. If you change any of the worksheet’s data, the chart automatically adjusts to the new data.

To add additional rows of data to the chart:

· Mouse method: Highlight a row of data. Left click again and move the cursor to get an arrow. Click and drag the arrow into the chart area. Release the mouse.

· Wizard method: From the Source Data, Series Tab, click on Add Row. Click the icon in the name box. Use the mouse to highlight the worksheet cell containing the name of your data. Press Enter. Click the icon in the Values box. Highlight the cells with the data and press Enter. Click OK

To add colorful background effects: Right click on any graphic element of the chart. Select format. Click on “Fill Effects.” If you are formatting a graphic from the drawing toolbar, you may have to use the “Color” pull-down box to find the “Fill Effects’ button.

To combine graphics with a chart: Use the Drawing toolbar to add text boxes, arrows and lines. Adding clip art WordArt and pictures can make a plain chart look spectacular.

To attach the graphics to your chart: Select the objects by holding down the Control key and left clicking on the chart and on the graphics. Right click and select group.