Basic MS Excel 2003 Operations for 
Windows 2000 & XP Operating System
Computing Services Information Document
PC/Windows 2000-XP

Create a Chart
 
Creating a chart

Charts are visually appealing and make it easy for users to see comparisons, patterns, and trends in data. For instance, rather than having to analyze several columns of worksheet numbers, you can see at a glance whether sales are falling or rising over distinct periods of time, or how the actual sales compare to the projected sales.

You can create a chart on its own sheet or as an embedded object on a worksheet. You can also publish a chart on a Web page. To create a chart, you must first enter the data for the chart on the worksheet. Then select that data and use the Chart Wizard to step through the process of choosing the chart type and the various chart options.

Using the Chart Wizard

You can create either an "embedded chart" (a chart located on the same page as the data) or a "chart sheet" (a chart that is attached to your data  but exist on a sepparate worksheet). 

Select or highlight cells that contain the data that you want in the chart. If you also want the column and row labels to appear in the chart, include the cells that contain them in your selection. 

Continued in next column.
 Click Chart Wizard .  Follow the instructions in the Chart Wizard. 

1. The first step ask you to select a chart type. example: bar, scatter, pie.....click Next.
Note: Click on Press and Hold to view to get a preview of your chart.
2. If you have already choosen data to be charted, excel will display it in the box called Data Range. 
Note: If data has not been selected to be charted , you may do it now by highlighting a columns or a set of numbers from the spreadsheet. If the range of selected data is choosen, click Next.
3. The next step prompts you to name your chart and its axis. After doing this click Next.
4. The last step ask you where in your file you wish the chart. You can include it in the page where the data came from, open a new worksheet and include it there, or select a chart page to add to your workbook. Select one, and click Finish. You can now edit the chart if you wish.

To create an embedded chart that uses the default chart type , select the data you want to plot, and then click Default Chart . 
If the Default Chart button is not available, add it to a toolbar. After clicking on the Default Chart button, a chart will appear immediatly. This chart will be added to your worksheet.

Below is an example of a embedded chart. The data used to discribe the chart is on top of the chart. They both reside on the same worksheet.

Editing a Chart

TO DO
Formating a Chart 1. To format labels along an axis, double-click the appropriate axis. A dialog box appear that alows the editing of the labels.
2.  To format data labels or a trendline label, double-click the item. A dialog box appear that alows the editing of the labels.
3. Click on the appropriate tab to edit your labels.
4. After making your selections, click OK.
An Alternitive Methoded to Formating the Chart 1. Click the value axis you want to change.
2. On the Format menu, click Selected Axis, and then click the Scale tab.
3. Select the options you want, discribed above.
Another Method 1. Click once on the axis or label you wish to edit.
2. Right click the mouse, and click on the Format Axis or Format Label. the appropriate dialog box will appear. 

 

Using the Format Dialog Box

The Format Dialog Box: Use this procedure to change colors, apply a texture or pattern, or change a line width or border style for data markers, the chart area, the plot area, gridlines, axes, and tick marks in 2-D and 3-D charts, trendlines and errorbars in 2-D charts, and the walls and floor in 3-D charts. Click the Tab, and then select the options you want. Patterns, color, scale, font....etc.
 
QUICK GUIDE
TO
DO
A different font The font you want in the Font box 
A different font size The font size you want in the Font Size box 
Bold, Italic, Underlined Button: , , 
A different color The arrow next to Font Color , and then click the color you want on the palette


 
TO DO
When you want a special background effect or color:  1. Click on the background of the chart.
2. Click Selected Plot Area from the Format menu.
3. In the Formating Plot Area dialog box specify a fill effect. Click Fill Effects, and then select the options you want on the Gradient, Texture, Pattern, and Color.
Change the spacing of tick marks and labels on the category axis

Each category on the category axis is identified by a label and separated from other categories by tick marks. You can change the intervals at which labels and tick marks appear. 

1. Click the category axis you want to change.
2. On the Format menu, click Selected Axis, and then click the Scale tab.
3. Select the options you want.
Change the scale of the value axis The scale specifies the range of values on an axis, their intervals, and the value which one axis crosses another. 

Scale: If your chart values are large numbers,  make the axis text shorter and more readable by changing the display unit of the axis. For example, if the chart values range from 1,000,000 to 50,000,000, you can display the numbers as 1 to 50 on the axis. Be sure to include a label that indicates that the units are expressed in millions.

1. Click the value axis you want to change. 
2. On the Format menu, click Select Axis, and then click the Scale Tab.
3. Select the options you want. 

Note: To flip the direction of bars or columns in a bar or column chart, select the Values in reverse order check box.
Change the font and size of text in a chart 1. Click the chart text, or select the individual characters you want to format. To change the formatting for all of the text in the chart at the same time, click the blank area between the border of the chart and the plot area to select the chart area.

---Or---

1. Click the chart text, or select the individual characters you want to format.
2. On the Formatting toolbar, click a button for the format you want.

On the Formatting toolbar, click a button for the format you want.
Fonts and rotated text You can format text in a chart as you would any other text. Click the text or item, and then change the font, size, and color by clicking the buttons on the Formatting toolbar.

If a chart title or text box is linked to a worksheet cell, you can change the formatting of all characters in the title or text box at the same time, but you cannot change individual characters. 
Numbers To apply the most common number formats, click the axis or data label that has the number you want to format, and then apply currency, percent, or comma style formatting by clicking the buttons on the Formatting toolbar.

1. To format labels along an axis, double-click the appropriate axis.

To format data labels or a trendline label, double-click the item.

2. On the Number tab, select the options you want.
Alignment
Align text in chart titles 		 1. Click the chart title you want to align, click Chart Title on the Format menu.
1A. If you clicked an axis title, click Axis Title on the Format menu.
3. Click the Alignment tab.
4. Select an option you want. example 45 deg. right than left, etc.....
5. Click Ok to finish.

Note: If you don't see the Alignment tab, click Cancel, click outside of the text you want to format, and then repeat steps 1-3.
Note: To quickly change the horizontal alignment of selected chart titles and text boxes, click Align Left  , Center  , or Align Right   on the Formatting Toolbar. 

DLM - (AS) 
Rutgers University, Camden 
S50-4150
Revised 03-29-05
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