A chart or graph is a pictorial representation of data. Charts visually demonstrate the relationship between data that is easier to see rather than a series of numbers.

Each chart must have a data source (The worksheet where the data is stored). The source is the data which is represented in the chart or graph. A data source has one or more series of data. Each data series is plotted on a graph or chart as a unit by itself (slices of pie on a pie chart, columns on a column chart, chart titles, legends, etc.).

A column chart can have more than one series values; however, a pie chart can only have one set of series values.

A data series has three components which are:

Series Values-- The series values are the actual data that is represented in the chart. A column chart can have more than one series values

Series Name-- The series name just identifies the series.

Category Values-- The category values are the categories that the series values belong to. Category values identify the series values.

A column chart or bar chart is a better representation of data if the number of categories is more than six and the series values are very close.

A column chart displays values in columns. A column height is directly related to the series values.

A column chart and a bar chart are basically the same except the bar chart represents data values on its side. In other words it is a column chart positioned on its side.

Enter the data from the worksheet. Name the worksheet Johnson Pharmacy Company. This will be the practice worksheet throughout this study guide. (When creating the column chart don’t include the totals. If the totals are

included, the chart will be distorted.)

The above chart is a clustered column chart. The next page illustrates the clustered bar chart. They are very similar, but they are not the same chart.

The above is the same data source but it has been changed to a clustered bar chart.

To create a column chart, first select the range for the column chart. On the INSERT tab, Chart group, choose Column chart.

In the illustration below:

The chart range is A3:B10 The height of each column represents

the data values The Legend is Sales The Y-axis scale (values) is 0-10,000 The X-axis represents the categories

values. The Chart Title is Sales.

The scale is a range of data which Excel selects that best fits the data being represented on the Y-Axis. In the example below, Excel selected the scale to be 0 – 10,000 because the largest series value is 9,000.

The gridlines help the viewer determine the value of the column. Tick marks are the gridlines that extend past the chart to the number scale on the Y-axis which helps the viewer associate the value with the column.

The contextual tab Chart Tools appears when the chart is selected. The three tabs available are DESIGN, LAYOUT, and FORMAT.

These are the same three options available when formatting any type of chart.

To change the font type and size of the labels on the X-axis, select the data and change the font and font size. In the example below the X-axis labels have been changed from a 10 point to a 12 point font size.

To change the Y-Axis scale, select the chart and on the Chart Tools tab, select Layout and choose Axes, Primary Vertical Axis, and then select More Primary Vertical Axis Options as shown in the illustration below.

After selecting More Primary Vertical Axis Options, the following window appears.

This window allows the user to change the Y-axis. Notice that the Minimum Value for the Y-axis is AUTO which allows Excel to select the minimum value. The Maximum option has been changed from AUTO to 9000 (scale). The Major Unit on the Y-axis scale is 1000. The Minor Unit of 200 was automatically chosen by Excel. Also notice that Major Tick Mark type is an option as well as Minor Tick Mark type. The last section has the Horizontal Axis Crosses the vertical axis at 0,0.

In the above illustration, the Maximum Value on the Y-axis has been changed to 9500.

The interval or Major Unit has been changed to 500. The horizontal and vertical axes intersection begins at 500.

The above is the Format Horizontal or X-axis dialog box. The first option is the Interval between Tick Marks. It defaults to 1. This means a tick mark will appear after each column. If you change to intervals of 2, a tick mark will appear after every two columns.

The next option is Specify Interval Unit which defaults to 1. That means on the horizontal axis each column will be labeled. If you change the default value to 2, every other column will be labeled.

The Label Distance from Axis just means how close the label values are to the axis. It defaults to 100. If the user changes to a lower number, the label values will be closer to the axis. If the user chooses a larger number, there will be more space between the label values and the axis.

To change the appearance of the data series, select the data markers for that series and apply formatting to the series. Data markers are the columns.

In comparison with the illustration above and the illustration in the left column, the columns

have been spaced closer together as well as a lighter blue color has been chosen.

To format the chart columns, select the columns. On the Chart Tools contextual tab choose Layout. In the first group Current Selection choose Format Selection. The Format Data Series dialog box opens as illustrated below.

Change the Gap Width to 50% which will decrease the gap between columns. Select the Fill Option and the following window appears.

If you click on the Gradient Fill option, the user can change the fill options. Choose the Linear for Type, Choose Linear Right

on the Direction option. There are more options available for the color gradients.

Data Series also includes the chart title, legend, and category values. These data series can also be formatted for color, font, etc.

The above example is a column chart with three series values. In other words, there are three different categories. The user can format each of the data series column’s color independent of the others. Select the column, go to the Home tab, Font group, Fill Color (paint can). The same process is completed when formatting more than one data series as the user would with one data series.

If the user is creating a 3-D column chart, data labels should be included. Sometimes a 3-D format can distort the data. Data labels help the viewer to understand the 3-D format. However if the data labels clutter the column chart, don’t use them.

The following window illustrations the 3-D chart rotation dialog box. It has a 40 degree X-axis rotation and a 90 degree Y-axis rotation.

To change the rotation, select the chart and right click. A shortcut menu appears, choose 3-D rotation.

Sometimes it is best to insert data labels so that the amounts are easier to distinguish. The

following are the steps to add data labels to the chart.

Select Chart Layout on contextual tab Labels Group Data Labels

The illustration below shows the Data Labels button and an example of data labels on a 3-D clustered column chart.

Most charts have 5 elements. They are Chart Area, Chart Title, Plot Area, Data Markers and Legend.

The Chart Area is the rectangular box containing the chart (border box) and all the other chart elements.

The Chart Title is the title of the chart usually appearing at the top of the chart.

The Plot Area contains the column chart. It is the rectangular area defined by the horizontal

and vertical axes. (It is the white space around the chart.)

The Data Markers represent the data values. The Data Markers are the columns which represent numeric values.

The Legend labels (names) the category series.The illustration below illustrates the five elements to a chart.

An embedded chart is the default chart location. It is embedded next to the data used to create it. The advantage of an embedded chart is the data explaining the chart is next to the chart. It may help the viewer understand the data better.

A chart sheet is a sheet devoted to the entire chart. There are no data cells in the chart sheet. The advantage of a chart sheet is that detailed charts that need more space can be seen more clearly.

To move the embedded chart to a Chart Sheet, select the chart and on the Chart Tools contextual Design tab choose the Location button. The Move Chart window opens for you

to enter a Chart 1 Sheet. The user should rename the chart.

A chart is normally displayed inside a border box. Resizing a chart is the same procedure as resizing a graphic. Select the chart, and the border box changes to the edit mode.

While in the edit mode, there are sizing handles in the form of small dots which are used to resize the chart and the border. Place the insertion point over a set of the small dots. The insertion point changes to a double-headed arrow. The chart and its border can be enlarged or compressed.

You can also move the chart inside its border. If you move the insertion point inside the border, it becomes a four-headed arrow. When it is a four-headed arrow, click on the outside edge of the chart and the edit box will appear. The user can now compress or enlarge the chart within the chart border.

The chart styles are similar to the cell styles and the table styles. Chart colors and appearances can be changed by using the Chart Styles gallery. There are 48 options on the Chart Styles.

Click on the column chart and choose the Design tab on the Chart Tools contextual tab, click the down arrow on the Chart Styles group. It will display all 48 styles.

The above illustration shows four of the Chart Styles. If you click on the down arrow, it will display all 48 styles.

The Chart Layout allows the user to display or hide any part of the chart elements. This option is found on the Design tab next to the Chart Styles group. The following illustrates the Chart Layout format options.

To change from a 2-D chart to a 3-D chart, click on the chart and then click on the Chart Tools Design, the first group TYPE, select the CHANGE CHART TYPE. Choose the 4th chart in the 1st row. The following illustrates a 3-D chart.

ChicagoLouisvilleNew York

The user can rotate the column chart by changing the X axis and Y axis.

The above rotation of the X and Y axis has changed the chart as shown below.

ChicagoLouisvilleNew York

The perspective is the way in which objects appear to the eye. The perspective is the illusion (trick of the eye) that parts of a 3-D

chart that are farther away from you decrease in size. The perspective on a chart can be between the range of 0⁰ to 100⁰.

A legend is an object in an Excel chart that is used to identify which data markers represent each series value. It is a box that identifies the patterns or colors that are assigned to the series values or categories in a chart.

A well-designed chart is a simple chart. A column chart should not have over 3 or 4 data series. The user should focus on the data rather than the embellishments of the chart.

The use of gridlines should be limited. Too many gridlines will clutter the chart making it hard to interpret.

ChicagoLouisvilleNew York

Colors can be very helpful to distinguish one series value from another. However, too much color can detract from the chart. Don’t always use the default color options. The default color options may not enhance the chart. Choose colors that complement the chart.