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Creating a Pie Chart in Excel

rhyttinen — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:50:13 +0000

Pie Charts show the relative size of parts in a whole. Each data series in a pie chart has a unique color (or pattern) and the data will be sorted with largest numbers appearing first. Pie charts have no x-axis or y-axis and have only one data series. Because of this, your data values should be arranged in one column or one row, with an optional column or row of category names.

You can consider using a pie chart when:

You have only a few numbers to chart (you should not have more than seven categories).
You have only one data series to plot
You don’t have any negative or zero values
Your data series does not include many low numbers (they will be too small to compare)
You want to show how each value in your series contributes to the whole

Once your pie chart is created, you can then rotate the slices for different perspectives or pull individual slices out of the chart to draw attention to them. Use the Layout, Data Labels or More Data Labels options to specify the labeling of the pie slices.

To Create a Pie Chart

Select the data you wish to include in your chart.
Click the Insert tab on the Ribbon.
Click the Pie button on the Charts group and click the type of pie chart you want to insert.
Use the Layout, Data Labels or More Data Labels option to specify the labeling of the pie slices.

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Customizing Chart Axes in Excel 2007

rhyttinen — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 06:00:47 +0000

For most charts, data is plotted along the horizontal (X) axis and along the vertical (Y) axis (3-D charts contain a (Z) axis as well). Categories are generally plotted on the horizontal axis and values are plotted on the vertical axis. Thus, the x-axis is referred to as the category axis and the y-axis is referred to as the value axis. We have already seen that you can change various formatting options such as font type, color and size, alignment of text, formatting of numbers, patterns, etc. of both category and value axis data.

When you create a chart, Excel automatically creates a default scale for the horizontal and vertical axis. Sometimes, the default scale is not ideal and your chart will prove difficult to read. The Axis command button on the Layout group allows you to display values in thousands, millions, etc. Additionally, you can set the minimum and maximum values for the value axis, as well as the major and minor units of measurement (you will need to turn on minor gridlines as you learned in the last lesson for the minor gridlines to display) from the Format Axis dialog box.

If axis readability is an issue, you may wish to also consider changing the axis alignment from the Format Axis dialog box.

Format Axis dialog box

To Format the Category and Value Axis

Click the chart to select it.
Click the contextual Layout tab under Chart Tools on the Ribbon.
Click the Axis button on the Axes group.
To change how the values are display, point to Primary Vertical Axis and choose the desired display (Default Axis, Thousands, Millions, Billions, or Log Scale).
To modify the layout of the horizontal, point to Primary Horizontal Axis and choose the desired display (Left to Right, Right to Left, Axis without Label or None).
To select custom axis options, point to Primary Vertical Axis or Primary Horizontal Axis, and then click More Primary Vertical Axis Options or More Primary Vertical Axis Options
Or
Select the axis you want to format and click the Format Selection button on the Current Selection group of the Layout Ribbon.
Select the desired axis options.
Click OK to close the Format Axis dialog box.

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Formatting Chart Text in Excel 2007

rhyttinen — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:07:32 +0000

You can format any text object on your chart, such as the chart title and chart axis labels using the formatting techniques that you have already learned. You can change the text or apply various formatting such as bold, italics, font size, font type, text alignment, and colors and patterns. Use the Mini-Toolbar which displays when you right-click on highlighted text or any of the commands on the Font group on the Home Ribbon.

You can use the Format Object dialog box, which allows you to apply a wide variety of formatting from one location. Right-click the object and choose Format [Selected Object] from the contextual menu. Click the desired tab in the left pane and make your selections.

To Format Chart Text

Click on the border of the Text Object you wish to edit.
Click the Home tab and make any selections from the Font group on the ribbon
Or
Right-click and make any selections from the Mini-Toolbar.
Or
Right-click and choose Format [Selected Object], click the desired tab and make your changes. Click OK.

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Change the Chart Type in Excel 2007

rhyttinen — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:46:28 +0000

Today we continue our discussion of Excel charts by learning how to change the type of chart you are using. Excel offers many different chart types to aid you in communicating different types of information. Once your chart is created, you can easily change the type of chart to a pie chart, line chart, area chart, etc. To do so, click the Change Chart Type button on the Type group under the contextual Design tab under Chart Tools to display the Chart Type dialog box. From there, you can choose from a wide array of chart types.

Change Chart Type dialog box

To Change the Chart Type:

Click the chart to select it.
Click the contextual Design tab under Chart Tools on the Ribbon.
Click the Change Chart Type button on the Type group.
Click the chart type category that you want in the left pane.
Click the chart type that you want in the right pane.
Click OK.

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Formatting Chart Elements in Excel 2007

rhyttinen — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:49:09 +0000

From the contextual Format tab, you can apply formatting such as fill color and (solid, gradient, picture or texture) and borders as well as visual effects such as shadows, reflection, glow, bevel, etc. to the individual elements of your chart. In order to do so, you must first select the object and then choose the formatting you wish to apply. For instance, if you wanted to change the fill color for one of the bars for a specific data series, you would select one of the bars, click the Shape Fill button on the Ribbon and choose the desired color from the color palette.

Use the Shape Fill, Shape Outline or Shape Effects buttons on the Shape Styles group to apply effects to your chart shapes. The Shape Styles gallery also includes some interesting effects. To add effects to the text on your chart, the Text Fill, Text Outline or Text Effects buttons on the WordArt group.

Another handy way to format chart elements is by using the Format Selection button on the Design Ribbon. When clicked, the Format Object dialog box appears from where you can apply multiple formatting.

To Apply Formatting to Chart Elements

Click the chart object that you want to format.
Click the contextual Format tab under Chart Tools.
To apply a fill color to the object, click the Shape Fill arrow on the Shape Styles group and choose the desired color from the color palette. Click Picture, Gradient or Texture to fill the object with any of these items.
To apply or modify the lines or border of an object, click the Shape Outline arrow on the Shape Styles group and choose the options you want.
To apply an effect to an object, click the Shape Effects arrow on the Shape Styles group, point to the desired category from the list and then click the effect you want to apply from the gallery.
To apply effects to chart text, use the tools on the WordArt Styles group.

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Labeling Chart Elements in Excel 2007

rhyttinen — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:15:45 +0000

Once you’ve created a chart, you may wish to customize the various elements of your chart, depending on the chart layout you have chosen. Labeling a chart element inserts a small text box on or near the chart element. For instance, you may wish to display or reposition a chart title, axis titles, the chart legend or add data labels or the data table. To add or modify a chart element, click the contextual Layout tab under Chart Tools, click the button for the label you want to add or modify on the Labels area and then make your selection.

You can then format the actual text of the labels by clicking inside of the text box, drag selecting the existing text and then typing your changes.

To Add/Modify a Chart’s Labels

Click the chart to select it.
Click the contextual Layout tab under Chart Tools.
Click the button for the label you want to modify on the Labels group.
Select the option you want from the list.

To Change Chart Text

Click on the Text Object you wish to edit.
Click inside of the selected object and begin typing.

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Change the Layout and Style of a Chart in Excel 2007

rhyttinen — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 07:00:21 +0000

After creating your chart, three contextual Ribbons appear under Chart Tools when the chart is selected: Design, Layout and Format, from where you can format your chart, apply various styles and change the chart layout.

From the contextual Design Ribbon, you can apply various predefined chart layouts and chart styles as well as change the chart type and modify the existing chart data. There are a wide variety of chart styles both in 2-D and 3-D formats that you can apply from the Chart Styles group on the Ribbon. Click the More button to display a gallery of all available chart styles.

For each chart type, you can also apply a preset layout from the Chart Layouts group. Again, clicking the More button on the Chart Layouts group will display a gallery of all available layouts.

Changing the Layout and Style of a Chart in Excel 2007

Click the chart to select it.
To change a chart layout or style, click the contextual Design tab under Chart Tools. Make your desired selection from the Chart Layout and/or Chart Style group.
Click the More button on the Chart Layout or Chart Style group to display additional layout or style thumbnails.

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To Create a Chart in Excel 2007

rhyttinen — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 01:16:40 +0000

A chart is a graphical representation of data and is an effective way to illustrate relationships and/or trends in data. Charts can be a powerful tool when used to provide data analysis and data comparisons. For example, you may wish to illustrate the change in sales trends from one quarter to the next — or the productivity of one store compared to another.

Excel can create a wide variety of charts — bar charts, line charts, pie charts, column charts, etc. and Excel 2007 makes creating charts easy with new charting tools. To insert a chart, select the data you want to include in your chart, click the chart type button on the Insert Ribbon and then choose the chart type you want from the gallery.

To Create a Chart

Select the data you wish to include in your chart.
Click the Insert tab on the Ribbon.
Click the button for the chart type you want on the Chart Types group on the Ribbon. Click All Chart Types to display the entire Chart Types gallery.
Click the Chart Type you want.

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Defining the Print Area in Excel

rhyttinen — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 01:07:40 +0000

Left to its own devices, Excel will print all the data that is in the currently active worksheet. You can however, force Excel to use a defined print area for the worksheet. Start by selecting the cell range that you want to print. Then, click the Print Area button under the Page Set up group on the Page Layout Ribbon and choose Set Print Area from the list.

To delete a print area, click the Print Area button and choose Clear Print Area.

To Define a Print Area in Excel

Click the Page Layout tab on the Ribbon.
Click the Print Area button and select Set Print Area from the list.
To remove a print area, click the Print Area button and select Clear Print Area from the list.

Tip: You can also add and remove a print area from the Sheet tab of the Page Setup dialog box.Similar Posts:

Convert Text to a SmartArt Graphic in PowerPoint

rhyttinen — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 07:00:15 +0000

PowerPoint 2007 allows you to convert existing text to a SmartArt graphic. To do this, select the text box you want to convert, click the Convert to SmartArt button on the Home Ribbon and choose the desired layout from the gallery.

To Convert Text to a SmartArt Graphic

Select the text that you want to convert.
Click the Home tab on the Ribbon.
Click the Convert to Smart Art button on the Paragraph group on the Ribbon.
Choose the desired layout from the SmartArt gallery.

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