How to Create Charts in Excel

Edited 4 months ago by ExtremeHow Editorial Team

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Charts are a great way to present data in an appealing way. They make complex data easier to understand by highlighting patterns, trends, and anomalies. Excel is a powerful spreadsheet tool that facilitates data visualization through chart creation. In this guide, let's walk through the process of creating different types of charts in Excel, making sure it's detailed enough to cover the entire journey from preparing your data to customizing the chart to suit your needs.

Preparing your data

Before you create a chart, it's important to organize your data. Excel charts rely on structured data to accurately represent information. Here are some steps to prepare your data:

• Organize your data: Make sure your data is laid out in rows and columns. Typically, the first row contains headers or labels for your categories or data series.
• Eliminate ambiguities: Remove any empty rows or columns in your dataset that are not needed. Keep your dataset concise and clear.
• Label your axes: Make sure you have the proper labels for your data. For example, if your chart will show sales figures over time, you will need to properly label both the time period and the sales data.

Selecting a chart type

Excel provides different types of charts, each of which is suitable for different data presentations. Some of these are as follows:

• Column chart: Good for comparing values across different categories. For example, comparing sales numbers between different months.
• Line charts: Great for showing trends over time. For example, plotting sales growth over a number of years.
• Pie chart: Useful for showing the proportion of a product across a whole. For example, the percentage contribution of different products to total sales.
• Bar charts: Similar to column charts but with horizontal bars. They are often easier to read for long category labels.
• Area chart: Displays quantities using filled areas, suitable for showing accumulated totals over time.
• Scatter chart: Useful for showing the relationship between two variables.

Select the chart type based on the information you want to convey. Different types of charts can emphasize specific aspects of your data.

Creating a chart

Now that your data is ready and you've chosen the type of chart, it's time to create it. Follow these steps to insert a chart in Excel:

1. Highlight your data: Click and drag the data you want to include in your chart. Make sure you include labels if you want them to appear on your chart.
2. Insert a chart: Go to the “Insert” tab in the Excel ribbon. In the Charts group, you will see various chart options. Click the type of chart you have chosen. For example, if you want a column chart, click “Insert Column or Bar Chart” and then choose the format you want.
3. Adjust chart placement: Once the chart is inserted, you can place it anywhere on your Excel sheet by clicking and dragging.

Customizing your chart

After you've inserted a chart, you may want to customize it to better convey your message. Here's how you can customize different aspects of your chart:

• Chart title: You can add or modify a chart title by clicking the Title text box. Type the title you want to give a clear idea of what the chart shows.
• Axis titles: To add titles to your axes, click the chart to enable “Chart Tools” on the ribbon. Then go to “Design” > “Add Chart Element” > “Axis Titles” and select the axis you want to label.
• Legend: Legends help explain the data series being displayed. Excel adds them by default, but they can be adjusted or removed via “Chart Tools” > “Design” > “Add Chart Elements” > “Legend.”
• Data labels: To show specific data values on the chart, go to Design > Add Chart Element > Data Labels and choose how you want to display them.
• Chart styles: Change the overall look of your chart by choosing different styles and colors. Click on the chart, and in the “Chart Tools” > “Design” tab, you will see several design options.

Advanced formatting options

Excel also allows for more advanced formatting options. Here are some features you might see:

• Change data series: If you want to make changes to a series of plotted data (such as adding or deleting a series), right-click the chart and choose "Select Data."
• Format the Axis: You can right-click the vertical or horizontal axis and select "Format Axis" for a number of customization options, such as setting minimum and maximum limits.
• Customizing gridlines: To improve readability, you may want to add or modify gridlines. Click the chart and go to Design > Add Chart Element > Gridlines.
• Add a trendline: To clearly see trends in your data, especially over time, go to “Design” > “Add Chart Element” > “Trendline”.

Using templates for consistency

If you create charts often, consider using a template to maintain consistency. Once you've created a chart, you can save it as a template for later use:

Save a chart template: Right-click the chart and choose “Save as Template.” This saves the chart layout and formatting so it can be easily applied to a new chart.

Use a chart template: To use a saved template, insert a new chart and go to Insert > Template, then find your saved template to apply it directly.

Example walkthrough

Let's look at a simple example. Suppose we have sales data for four products over three months:

| Month | Product A | Product B | Product C | Product D |
| January | 500 | 300 | 450 | 700 |
| February | 700 | 400 | 500 | 800 |
| March | 600 | 350 | 520 | 680 |

To create a chart:

1. Highlight the table (including headings).
2. Go to the “Insert” tab.
3. Click “Insert Column or Bar Chart” > “Clustered Column.”

You now have a column chart that shows the sales of each product over three months.

To customize:

1. Click the chart title, then type “Monthly Sales Data.”
2. Go to “Chart Tools” > “Design” > “Add Chart Element” > “Axis Titles”.
3. Add an axis title for the horizontal axis, call it “Months,” and for the vertical axis, call it “Units Sold.”

Conclusion

Creating charts in Excel is a straightforward process that significantly enhances your data presentation by making data visually accessible and easily understandable. With a plethora of customization options available, Excel allows you to create charts that not only serve functional purposes but also add aesthetic value to your reports and data analysis tasks. By following the above-mentioned steps and considering the tips provided, you can easily create and customize charts to meet your specific needs.

Remember, practice is the key. The more you work with Excel charts, the more skilled you will become at deciding what data to visualize, choosing the appropriate chart type, and customizing them to your specific needs.

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