Charting With Excel 2010

Tut
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2010
Char
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CHARTING WITH EXCEL 2010

TUTOR-LED MANUAL V1.0
In
FOCUS
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Product: EX07ChartsTut
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(c) 2012 Watsonia Publishing

........................................
Copyright 2012 Melbourne

by Watsonia Software Pty Ltd (ABN 64 060 335 748)
Published by Watsonia Publishing
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Telephone: (61 3) 9851 4000
Facsimile: (61 3) 9851 4001
Web site: www.watsoniapublishing.com
Product Code EX07ChartsTut
First Published November 2012
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Charting with Excel 2010 - Tutor-Led Manual v1.0
READ ME FIRST
In case you're not familiar with the terminology,
Read Me First is quite often the name given to a
computer file that contains important information
for people to know prior to using an application.
This section contains some important information to

help you use this book so we thought we'd start
with a Read Me First section.
Who this course is for...
This course is designed for users who are keen to extend their
understanding and knowledge of the software.
What skills and knowledge

you will acquire...
The skills and knowledge acquired in this course are sufficient to be able
to use and operate the software at an efficient level.
What you'll need to know

before beginning this
course...
This course assumes you have attended the Excel 2010 Basics course or
that you already have these skills.
The objectives of this guide
At the completion of this course you should be able to:
What you get in a Chapter...
create effective charts in Microsoft Excel

use a range of techniques to enhance charts
move or copy charts within the same workbook or to different
workbooks
1
Each of the chapters is comprised
of a summary page listing the topics
covered in that chapter. The chapter then consists of single-page topic
sheets pertaining to the theme of the chapter.
What you'll need to have

before commencing this
course...
Many of the topics in the this course require you to open an existing
training file. These files are provided in your training account's T:\ network
4
drive if you are attending a tutor led course. These files can also be
downloaded from the University of Strathclyde Online Resource Centre.
As you work through this

guide
It is strongly recommended that you close all open files, if any, prior to
commencing each new chapter in this learning guide. Each chapter,
where relevant, has its own set of course files and any from a previous
chapter are no longer required.
Where to from here...
Have a look at the next page which explains how a topic page works,
ensure that you have access to the exercise files (see above), and you're
ready to make a start.
Watsonia Publishing
-i-
Read Me Preface
WORKING WITH TOPIC SHEETS

additional reference (optional) material at the
bottom. Task sheets contain a Try This Yourself
step-by-step exercise panel in the detail area as
shown below.
The majority of this book comprises single-page

topic sheets. There are two types of topic sheets:
task and reference. The layout of both is similar
an overview at the top, detail in the centre and
1
2
3
4
Topic name
General topic overview provides an introduction to the topic
Try This Yourself (Task-based topic sheets) is a detailed step-by-step practice

exercise for you to work through. In Reference topic sheets this is usually replaced
by a box with reference information.
In Task topic sheets screen shots and graphics provide a visual clue as to what
will happen when you work through the Try This Yourself practice exercise. In
Reference topic sheets the screen shots and graphics are used to visually
represent information and concepts.
The For Your Reference (optional) element provides a quick summary of the steps
required to perform a task. These usually only appear in Task-based topic sheets.
The Handy To Know (optional) element provides additional information such as

alternate ways of accomplishing a task or further information providing handy tips.
Watsonia Publishing
- ii -
How To Preface
CONTENTS
Chapter 1: Creating Charts
Understanding The Charting Process ............................................................ 2

Understanding Common Chart Types ............................................................ 3
Choosing The Chart Type .............................................................................. 4
Creating A New Chart ..................................................................................... 5
Working With An Embedded Chart ................................................................. 6
Resizing A Chart ............................................................................................. 7
Printing An Embedded Chart .......................................................................... 8
Creating A Chart Sheet .................................................................................. 9
Changing The Chart Type ............................................................................ 10
Changing The Chart Layout ......................................................................... 11
Changing The Chart Style ............................................................................ 12
Printing A Chart Sheet .................................................................................. 13
Embedding A Chart Into A Worksheet.......................................................... 14
Deleting A Chart ........................................................................................... 15
Chapter 2: Charting Techniques
17
Understanding Chart Layout Elements ........................................................ 18

Adding A Chart Title ..................................................................................... 19
Adding Axes Titles ........................................................................................ 20
Positioning The Legend ................................................................................ 21
Showing Data Labels .................................................................................... 22
Showing A Data Table .................................................................................. 23
Modifying The Axes ...................................................................................... 24
Showing Gridlines ......................................................................................... 25
Formatting The Plot Area ............................................................................. 26
Showing The Plot Area ................................................................................. 27
Adding A Trendline ....................................................................................... 28
Adding Error Bars ......................................................................................... 29
Adding A Text Box To A Chart ..................................................................... 30
Drawing Shapes In A Chart .......................................................................... 31
Chapter 3: Chart Object Formatting
33
Understanding Chart Object Formatting ....................................................... 34

Selecting Chart Elements ............................................................................. 35
Using Shape Styles To Format Objects ....................................................... 36
Changing Column Colour ............................................................................. 37
Using Shape Effects ..................................................................................... 38
Filling The Chart Area And The Plot Area .................................................... 39
The Format Dialog Box ................................................................................. 40
Using The Format Dialog Box ...................................................................... 41
Using Themes............................................................................................... 42
Chapter 4: Working with Charts
43
Moving Charts within a Workbook ................................................................ 44

Copying Charts within a Workbook .............................................................. 45
Moving or Copying Charts to Another Workbook ......................................... 46
Concluding Remarks
Watsonia Publishing
47
- iii -
Contents
CONTENTS
Notes:
Watsonia Publishing
- iv -
Contents
CHAPTER 1
In
FOCUS
CREATING CHARTS
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Well, a chart in a
worksheet can be worth a thousand numbers! Charts are used to
summarise data, reflecting proportions, trends, and anomalies in
your data far more effectively.
The really clever feature of charting in Excel is just how easy it is to
create a brand new chart.
In this session you will:
Watsonia Publishing
gain an understanding of how charts are created and

presented in Excel
gain an understanding of common chart types
gain an overview of different chart types
learn how to create a new chart in Microsoft Excel
learn how to work with an embedded chart
learn how to resize the chart
learn how to print an embedded chart
learn how to create a chart sheet
learn how to change the chart type of an existing chart
learn how the change the chart layout of an existing chart
learn how to change the style of a chart
learn how to print a chart sheet
learn how to embed a chart into a worksheet
learn how to delete a chart.
Page 1
Chapter 1 - Creating Charts
UNDERSTANDING THE CHARTING PROCESS

Charts provide a visual way of seeing trends in
the data in your worksheet. The charting feature
in Excel is extremely flexible and powerful and
allows you to create a wide range of charts from
the worksheet data. But the beauty of the charting

process is that it is delightfully easy and simple
once you know how.
The Charting Process

Theres no rocket science here to create a new chart you simply select the data that you want to
graph, then from the Insert tab of the Ribbon, choose the type of chart you want. As soon as you
have clicked on the desired chart type a new chart will be embedded in the active worksheet.
Embedded Charts
Charts that appear within a worksheet are known as embedded charts. A chart is really an object
that sits on top of the worksheet unlike numbers and letters, charts are not actually placed into
worksheet cells.
Chart Sheets
If you want to keep your chart separate from the data you can move the chart to its own sheet. Chart
sheets make it easier and more convenient to work with your chart because youll see more of it on
the screen since the data is not there!
Watsonia Publishing
Page 2
UNDERSTANDING COMMON CHART TYPES

There are several common chart types that are
used to portray worksheet data. Chart types such
as bar and column reflect the size of a value by
the length of the bar or height of the column, so
you can see at a glance how values compare.

Chart types such as line show trends over time and
pie charts show you proportion. Here are some
examples of common chart types.
Common Chart Types
Variation Within A Chart Type

Within each chart type there are chart subtypes, including 3-D charts. Here are a few variations of a
clustered column chart, including a clustered cylinder, 3-D pyramid and 100% stacked cone.
Watsonia Publishing
Page 3
CHOOSING THE CHART TYPE

A chart is far more effective at communicating
results, outcomes or trends than a table of figures
displaying the same information. Different chart
types have been created to communicate
different types of information. Some charts show

simple relationships between values, while others
are designed for quite technical purposes. Here is a
summary of the use of different chart types.
Chart Type
Use
Column, Bar, Cylinder,

Cone, Pyramid
These chart types, either in 2D or 3D, are used to compare values

across categories. For example, they could compare the populations of
different countries.
Line, Area
Lines in 2D or 3D are perfect for showing trends such as sales or

employment figures. An area chart is basically a line chart with the
area below the line filled in.
Surface
The surface chart plots trends in two dimensions. You could use this to
plot departmental sales figures over time. The chart then shows you
the trends between departments, as well as the sales trends over time.
Pie, Doughnut
If you want to show proportion, such as the sales figures from different
departments that make up a total, then the pie and doughnut charts
are for you. The doughnut chart varies only from the pie chart in that it
can display more than one series of values.
Technical Chart Options

Stock
The stock chart type has been designed to show the stock figures for a
day, and the trend over time. At its simplest, you can plot the high, low
and close figures, and at its most complex, the volume, open, high,
low, and close. It can be adapted to show the relationships between
any 5 sets of values.
XY (Scatter)
Scatter diagrams are used to display the relationship between two

variables. For example, you could research the age and value of a
series of cars, and plot the values you find. You could also investigate
the height and weight relationship of a group of people.
Bubble
The bubble chart is a scatter chart with a third set of values that
determine the size of the bubble marker. For example, it could be used
to show the concentrations of a particular metal at different times,
sampled from different depths in a dam. The position on the graph
would reflect the depth and time, and the size of the bubble would
reflect the concentration of the metal.
Radar
A radar diagram is designed to show the change in values from a

central point. For example, it can be used to show mobile telephone
coverage, including multiple networks and multiple measurements.
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Page 4
CREATING A NEW CHART

Creating a chart is really easy in Excel. You
simply select the data to chart then access the
chart type you want on the Insert tab of the
Ribbon. The only tricky part is selecting the
correct data to chart. Generally you should select

only raw data not the totals or subtotals. Also
headings at the left and at the top often present
themselves as the legend or axis of the chart.
Open
File
Try This Yourself:

Before starting this exercise
you MUST open the file E758
Charting_1.xlsx...
Click on cell A3, hold down the

key and click on cell G7
to select only the raw data

Click on the Insert tab of the
Ribbon, and click on the
Column command in the

Charts group to see a gallery
of Column chart types
Click on the first option the
Clustered Column chart type
Excel will now create a chart

and place it (known as
embedding) in the worksheet
for you
Click on cell A1 to deselect the

chart
For Your Reference
Handy to Know
To create a chart:
1. Select the range to chart
2. Click on the Insert tab of the Ribbon, and
click on the Column command in the Charts
group
3. Click on the desired chart type
When a chart is active the Ribbon shows

additional tabs with commands that are used
when charting.
Watsonia Publishing
Page 5
WORKING WITH AN EMBEDDED CHART

work with a chart you must select it this can be
done by clicking on the chart. The chart itself is
made up of many objects and these too can be
selected by clicking on them.
By default, a new chart will be placed in the

active worksheet, which is usually the one that
contains the data. Charts are placed over the top
of the worksheet as objects. When you want to
Same
File
Try This Yourself:

Continue using the
previous file with this
exercise, or open the file
E758 Charting_2.xlsx...
Move the mouse pointer

to the border of the chart
and click once to select

the chart as an object
The border of the chart
will thicken to indicate that
the chart is selected. In
addition the range of data
used for the chart will be
enclosed in coloured
lines. The Ribbon will
show chart-specific tabs
and commands
Click on the chart legend

to make it the active
object in the chart

Click on the vertical axis
to make it the active
object
Click on the horizontal

axis to make it the active
object
Click on the border of the
chart to make the overall
chart the active object

again notice that the
coloured lines have
reappeared
Click in cell A1 to deselect
the chart
For Your Reference
Handy to Know
To select a chart and its objects:

1. Click on the border of the chart to select an
embedded chart
2. Click on the various objects of a chart to
select them
Once an object, be it a chart, a legend on the

chart, or whatever, is selected you can right
click to see a short cut menu specific to the
selected object.
Watsonia Publishing
Page 6
RESIZING A CHART
There are two main ways to resize a chart if you
are not happy with its current size. You can
manually resize it by dragging on the sizing
handles around the border of a selected chart.
Same
File
Try This Yourself:
These handles appear with dots in them. You can

also resize a chart using the commands that
appear in the Size group on the Format tab of the
Ribbon that appears when the chart is selected.
Continue using the

Click on the chart to

select it
Move the mouse pointer

to the sizing handle on the
left border of the chart

until the mouse pointer
changes to a double
arrow
Hold down the left mouse

button and drag left until
the chart is about 25%

larger
You can also resize a
chart from the Ribbon
Click on the Format tab of
the Ribbon and notice
that there is a Size group

Click on the up button of
the Shape Height
command until it shows
8.5 cm
Click on the up button of
the Shape Width
command until it shows

18 cm
Click in cell A1 to deselect

the chart
For Your Reference
Handy to Know
To resize a chart:
1. Drag one of the six sizing borders on the
border of a selected chart
OR:
1. Click on the up/down buttons of the Shape
Height and Shape Width commands
Generally you would drag the sizing handles

when you are interested in getting an
approximate size change, and the
commands on the Ribbon when you need to
precisely size the chart.
Watsonia Publishing
Page 7
PRINTING AN EMBEDDED CHART

When you print a worksheet Excel will print
whatever is in or embedded in that worksheet
including charts. This makes it easy and
convenient to print both the chart and its
Open
File
Try This Yourself:
underlying data. All you need to do is to position

the chart in the appropriate location, and then
access the print commands in the normal way.

you MUST open the file
Click on the File tab then

select Print to see a
preview of the data and the

chart
Not all of the chart or data
may be visible so well
change the orientation to
landscape
Click on the Page Setup
command to see the Page
Setup dialog box

Click on Landscape in
Orientation and click on
[OK]
Select Print to print your
chart. For this course
please do not print to save

paper.
For Your Reference
Handy to Know
To print a chart:
1. Click on the File tab then click on Print. The
preview will be on the right of the screen
2. Click on the Print command
Its best to preview a chart before actually

printing it. This way youll be able to make
whatever page setup changes that are
required to properly position and see the
chart on the printed page.
Watsonia Publishing
Page 8
CREATING A CHART SHEET

Charts can either be stored in a worksheet or in a
separate sheet of their own known as a chart
sheet. Chart sheets separate the chart from the
underlying data and are useful - especially if you
Same
File
Try This Yourself:
are interested in printing the chart on its own page.

Charts can be shifted back and forth between a
worksheet and a chart sheet.
Continue using the

Click on the chart to

select it and display
chart commands in the

Ribbon
Click on the Design tab

on the Ribbon, then
click on the Move Chart

command in the
Location group to
display the Move Chart
dialog box
Click on New Sheet,
then type Revenue
Chart this will become

the sheet name for the
chart
Click on [OK] to move
the embedded chart to
its own sheet

Click on the Chart Data
tab to see the data
again
For Your Reference
Handy to Know
To create a chart sheet:

1. Click on the Design tab on the Ribbon, then
click on the Move Chart command in the
Location group
2. Click on New Sheet, type a new name for
the sheet and click on [OK]
Keeping charts on their own sheets makes

them easier to work with. They are larger and
there is not the confusing matrix of data
lines.
Watsonia Publishing
Page 9
CHANGING THE CHART TYPE

Creating a chart is easy. But what if the results
were not what you wanted? Do you have to go
back and start again? No! It is really quite easy to
alter the chart type all you need to do is to
Same
File
Try This Yourself:
understand what each chart type is designed for

and to select the format that best suits your
purpose. Just be aware that some chart types are
designed for specialised applications.
Before starting this

exercise you MUST open
the file E758
Charting_7.xlsx...
Click on the Revenue

Chart worksheet tab to
see the chart, then click

anywhere on the chart to
select it and see the chart
commands on the Ribbon
on the Ribbon and click
on the Change Chart

Type command in the
Type group to see the
Change Chart Type
dialog box
Click on 3-D Cylinder
then click on [Yes] then
[OK] to apply the change

to the chart
worksheet
For Your Reference
Handy to Know
To change the chart type:

1. Ensure the chart or chart sheet is selected
2. Click on the Design tab on the Ribbon and
click on the Change Chart Type command
in the Type group
3. Click on the desired chart and click on [OK]
You can use the Change Chart Type

command in the Type group for either
embedded charts or charts that have their
own worksheet tabs.
Watsonia Publishing
Page 10
CHANGING THE CHART LAYOUT

Excel has a gallery of layouts that can be
applied at anytime to an existing and selected
chart either in its own worksheet or embedded
into the data worksheet. These layouts basically
Same
File
Try This Yourself:
move objects on the chart around to different

locations on the chart giving you several design
and layout options.
Continue using the



Click on the Design tab,
then click on the More
button
for the Chart
Layouts group to see a
gallery of possible layouts
Click on Layout 3 to see
the chart updated with this
layout
Repeat steps 2 and 3 and
experiment with some of
the other layouts

Click on the More button
for the Chart Layouts

group and click on Layout
5

tab
For Your Reference
Handy to Know
To change the chart layout:

2. On the Design tab click on the More button
for the Chart Layouts group
Layouts are like predefined themes created

by someone at Microsoft. Even though you
choose one of these layouts you can still
make your own modifications to where the
elements and objects are positioned and how
they look.
3. Click on the desired layout
Watsonia Publishing
Page 11
CHANGING THE CHART STYLE

The style of a chart involves basically the colour
scheme presented in the chart. Naturally you can
manipulate the colours of the bars and lines and
other elements as you please. However, unless
you have a lot of spare time, you may as well use

one of the predefined styles built into Excel. You
can choose and change styles in a chart at any
time.
Same
File
Try This Yourself:

Continue using the


Click on the Design tab,

then click on the More
button
for the Chart
Styles group to see a
gallery of possible styles
Click on Style 14 to see
this applied to your chart
Click on the More button
for the Chart Styles

group and click on Style
34
worksheet tab
For Your Reference
Handy to Know
To change the chart style:

2. On the Design tab click on the More button
for the Chart Styles group
If you cant find the style you want simply

select the one that is the closest and then
modify those elements that you want.
3. Click on the desired style
Watsonia Publishing
Page 12
PRINTING A CHART SHEET

You can print an embedded chart simply by
printing the worksheet as if it is a standard
worksheet. And whats more, you can print a
chart sheet in exactly the same way. To print a
chart sheet all you need to do is to make sure that

the chart sheet is active and then just print through
the File tab commands.
Open
File
Try This Yourself:

you MUST open the file

Chart worksheet tab
Click on Chart Title, type

Revenue Chart and press
to provide a more
meaningful title
Click on Axis Title, type
Euros and press
Select the File tab then

Print to view the Print
Preview on the right of the
screen
No further adjustment is
required here so we can go
ahead and print it
If you have a working
printer click on the Print
command
For Your Reference
Handy to Know
To print a chart sheet:

1. Click on the chart tab to make the chart
sheet active
2. Click on the File tab then select Print to
view the Print Preview
3. Click on the Print command
When you preview a chart prior to printing

the screen rendition may not be as clear as
when the chart is actually printed. If your
chart appears fuzzy in print preview it will still
probably print satisfactorily.
Watsonia Publishing
Page 13
EMBEDDING A CHART INTO A WORKSHEET

Charts can either be presented in their own
sheets or they can be embedded into a
worksheet that contains data. In fact you can
move a chart back and forth between its own
Same
File
Try This Yourself:
sheet and a worksheet as often as you wish without

impacting at all on the chart. Sometimes it is easier
to work with a chart in its own sheet, but may be
necessary to print it with its data.
Continue using the


Chart worksheet tab

on the Ribbon, then
click on the Move Chart
command in the
Location group to
display the Move Chart
dialog box
Click on Object in, click
on the drop arrow

and click on Sheet 2
Click on [OK] to move
the chart to the
worksheet
Reposition the chart by
dragging it to the top left
of the sheet then drag

the resizing handles to
resize it as shown
worksheet tab
For Your Reference
Handy to Know
To embed a chart in a worksheet:

1. Click on the Design tab on the Ribbon, then
click on the Move Chart command in the
Location group
Embedding is normally only done when it is

necessary to print the worksheet and the
data together.
2. Click on the drop arrow

and click on the
sheet to embed it into, then click on [OK]
Watsonia Publishing
Page 14
DELETING A CHART
If you no longer require a chart you can delete it
quite easily in fact, it is even easier to delete a
chart than the data! With embedded charts you
must first select them in the worksheet and then
press the
key to delete the chart. With charts in
chart sheets you can delete the sheet by right
clicking on the chart sheet tab and choosing the
deletion option.
Same
File
Try This Yourself:

Continue using the
Click on Sheet 2 to see

the chart in the
worksheet then click on

the chart to select it
Press
chart
to delete the
For Your Reference
Handy to Know
To delete a chart:
1. Click on the worksheet to see the chart, then
click on the chart to select it
2. Press
Because it is so easy to delete a chart object

it is also easy to delete it by accident!
Remember, you can use the Undo feature in
Excel to restore accidental deletions.
Watsonia Publishing
Page 15
NOTES:
Watsonia Publishing
Page 16
CHAPTER 2
In
FOCUS
CHARTING TECHNIQUES
When you create a chart in Excel, its produced with a default layout
and appearance. You can modify the layout, adding labels and
other features, to improve its appearance and readability.
Watsonia Publishing
gain an understanding of chart layout elements
learn how to add a chart title
learn how to add axes titles
learn how to position the legend
learn how to show data labels
learn how to show a data table
learn how to modify the horizontal and vertical axes
learn how to show or hide gridlines
learn how to format the plot area
learn how to show or hide the plot area
learn how to add a trendline
learn how to add error bars to a chart
learn how to add a text box to a chart
learn how to draw shapes in a chart.
Page 17
Chapter 2 - Charting Techniques
UNDERSTANDING CHART LAYOUT ELEMENTS

Microsoft Excel provides a range of chart
elements that can be added to the layout or used
to modify the layout so that the chart is easier to
interpret. Charts can be used to communicate a
range of ideas, and chart layout elements help you

emphasise particular ideas, information and trends.
This page takes an introductory look at the
elements that you can take advantage of.
Chart Layout Elements

The chart above has been overladen with chart layout elements so that you can see how they fit in and
work together. In reality, you would only ever use a few at a time to avoid confusion.
The chart title appears at the top of the
chart and explains it purpose. Textual
elements like this can be edited and
moved to any location required.
The horizontal (x) and vertical (y) axes

show the scale of the chart or nominate
the data elements. In this example, the
x-axis is hidden by the data table.
The axes titles give an overview of the

data that is plotted on the chart.
Horizontal and vertical gridlines can be

drawn across the plot area (background)
to help the reader judge the position of
the elements, e.g. the size of the column.
A data table details the chart figures

below the data points in a table layout. In
this example it includes the legend key.
Text boxes and shapes can be used to

annotate charts or provide additional
information.
The legend tells you the name of each

data series in the chart.
The data labels show you the actual

A trendline shows you the trend of a
figures in conjunction with the data
data series, while error bars
points.
particular
show you possible variations in figures.
Watsonia Publishing
Page 18
ADDING A CHART TITLE

The chart title tells the reader at a glance what
the chart is about. It is effectively a summary of
the purpose of the chart. Chart titles generally
appear at the top of the chart where they dont
Open
File
Try This Yourself:
interfere with the plotted figures in the chart. Excel

provides two preset title positions one above the
chart and one overlaid on the chart so that there is
more room for the plot area.

Charting Techniques_1.xlsx...
Click on the worksheet tab for

Projected Sales Chart to see
the chart
This is a column chart showing
sales projections, but without a
title its a bit hard to work this
out...
Click in the chart then click on
the Chart Tools: Layout tab
to display the layout tools
Click on Chart Title

in the
Labels group to display the

options
Centred Overlay Title leaves
the size of the plot area
unchanged while Above Chart
resizes the chart and places
the title outside the plot area...
Select Centred Overlay Title
The chart title will appear at
the top of the chart over the

plot area...
Type Projected Sales
Figures then press
The text appears in the

Formula bar as you type and is
placed in the Title text box
when you press
For Your Reference
Handy to Know
To add a chart title:
You can remove a title by clicking on Chart

Title
and selecting None.
1. Click on Chart Title

in the Labels
group on the Chart Tools: Layout tab
2. Select a position option
3. Type the title text and press
Watsonia Publishing
There are only two standard placement

options, but you can drag the title to any
position you like. You can also edit it by
clicking in the text box and making changes.
Page 19
ADDING AXES TITLES

Axes titles appear outside the vertical (y) axis
and the horizontal (x) axis and are used to
provide units of measure or an overall text
description of the data elements plotted on each
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axis. For example, if your vertical axis shows dollar

amounts, you can detail which currency youve
used by adding a vertical axis title.
Continue using the previous

file with this exercise, or open
the file E761 Charting
Techniques_2.xlsx...
If the Chart Tools: Layout

tab is not displayed, click in
the chart and then click on

the tab to display it
Click on Axis Titles

then point to Primary
Horizontal Axis Title
The options are displayed...

Select Title Below Axis
A title will appear below the

chart...
Type International Office
and then press
Click on Axis Titles
then point to Primary
Vertical Axis Title to display

the options
There are a few more
alternatives for the vertical
axis...
Select Horizontal Title
It will appear to the left of the
chart and the plot area will

resize to make room for it...
Type $AUD then press
For Your Reference
Handy to Know
To add axes titles:
You can remove an axis title by clicking on

the title and pressing
or by clicking on
Axis Titles
, pointing to Primary
Vertical Axis Title or Primary Horizontal
Access Title and selecting None.
1. Click on Axis Titles

2. Point to Primary Vertical Axis Title or
Primary Horizontal Access Title
3. Select the required option
4. Type the title text then press
Watsonia Publishing
Page 20
POSITIONING THE LEGEND

A legend is a list of the data series that have
been plotted on a chart along with their
corresponding colours or other identifying marks.
By default, charts are created with a legend that
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appears to the right of and outside the plot area.

There are six preset position options for you to
select from, some overlaying the plot area, others
being placed outside the plot area.


the chart and then click on the
tab to display it
Currently, the legend is
positioned on the right...
Click on Legend
to
display the options

Select Show Legend at Top
The legend will move to
behind the title and the plot

area will widen...
Click on the legend so that
pale blue handles appear
around it
Point to the line anywhere
between the top handles, then
drag the legend down below
the heading
You can actually position the
legend wherever you want to.
Well put it back near the data
that it explains...
Click on Legend
then
select Show Legend at Right
For Your Reference
Handy to Know
To position a legend:
If a legend is not displayed, you can create

one by clicking on Legend
and
selecting any of the legend position options.
1. Click on Legend
2. Select an option
Watsonia Publishing
You can remove a legend by clicking on it

and pressing
or by clicking on
Legend
and selecting None.
Page 21
SHOWING DATA LABELS

Data labels are text boxes placed on the chart
that show the actual figures behind the chart.
Data labels can show the value, the category
label or the percentage of a total. They are
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particularly useful for pie charts as they can be

used to show the exact percentage of each slice.
Data labels can be placed in several preset
positions on the chart.

If the Chart Tools: Layout tab

is not displayed, click in the
chart and then click on the tab

to display it
At the moment the columns
show you roughly how large
the number is but not the
detail...
Click on Data Labels
to
see the options

Select Center
The actual figures will appear
across the centre of the

columns. Unfortunately some
overlap a little...
Click on the figure in the green
column (Mar) for Auckland
All the figures in that data

series will be selected...
Point to the middle of the

number then drag it down a
little so that it no longer
overlaps the previous figure
Repeat steps 5 and 6 to adjust

the position of the data label
for Feb (red) for New York
For Your Reference
Handy to Know
To show data labels:
You can remove data labels by clicking on

Data Labels
and selecting None.
1. Click on Data Labels

2. Select the required position
Watsonia Publishing
Page 22
SHOWING A DATA TABLE

A data table, in reference to charts, is a table of
the figures used to create the chart. It allows you
to report both the data and the chart in one place.
A data table is only ever placed below the chart
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File
itself, and the figures are aligned with their

corresponding data point or column in the chart
unless you create a horizontal bar chart. You can
choose to include legend keys if you like.



At the moment, the data is
shown in the columns as data
labels. You can also show it
outside the plot area in a
table...
Click on Data Table

display the options
to
The data table is always

positioned below the chart,
but you can decide whether
or not to display the legend
keys...
Select Show Data Table
with Legend Keys
The data table will be added.

The individual data labels are
now redundant...
Click on Data Labels
and select None

The data now only appears
below the chart. Well leave
the existing legend in place
For Your Reference
Handy to Know
To show a data table:
To remove a data table, click on Data Table

and select None.
1. Click on Data Table

2. Select an option
Watsonia Publishing
You can format the data in a data table by

clicking in the data table and then applying
the required formatting using the controls on
the Home tab.
Page 23
MODIFYING THE AXES

The axes show the values and labels for the
charted data. By default, the values appear on
the left-hand side of the chart (vertical axis) and
the labels appear across the bottom of the chart
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(horizontal axis). The position of the major units on

these axes is calculated by Excel, but you can
select alternative layouts and scales and even
remove them altogether if you want to.



to display it
On this chart, the horizontal

axis is obscured by the data
table, so any changes you
make will not be visible.
However, you can examine the
options and make change to
the vertical axis which
currently shows the default
axis settings...
Click on Axes
to display
the submenu then point to

Primary Horizontal Axis to
see the options
Point to Primary Vertical Axis
to see these options
Select Show Axis in

Axes
Thousands
The number of zeros in each

major unit will be reduced and
the label Thousands will
appear
For Your Reference
Handy to Know
To modify the axis:
You can modify the Axis Options by clicking

on Axes
, pointing to Primary
Horizontal Axis and selecting More
Horizontal Axis Options or pointing
Primary Vertical Axis and selecting More
Vertical Axis Options.
1. Click on Axes
2. Point to Primary Horizontal Axis and
Primary Vertical Axis
3. Select an option
Watsonia Publishing
Page 24
SHOWING GRIDLINES
Many of Excels chart types include major
gridlines by default. Gridlines help you to
determine the numeric value of each data point
and are therefore very useful when the absolute
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size of the data value is important. You can show

or hide horizontal and vertical gridlines and decide
whether to display them for major and/or minor
units.

file with this exercise, or
open the file E761 Charting


At the moment, only the
horizontal gridlines are
displayed and these align
with the major units...
Click on Gridlines
and
point to Primary Horizontal

Gridlines to display the
menu
Notice that Major Gridlines is

selected...
Point to Primary Vertical
Gridlines to display the
options
Notice that None is currently
selected...
Select Major Gridlines to
apply vertical gridlines to the
chart
In this case they make the

chart a little busy and dont
add much value, but at least
you can see how they work
For Your Reference
Handy to Know
To show gridlines:
To remove gridlines, click on Gridlines

point to Primary Horizontal Gridlines or
Primary Vertical Gridlines and select
None.
1. Click on Gridlines
2. Point to Primary Horizontal Gridlines or
Primary Vertical Gridlines
3. Select an option
Watsonia Publishing
Page 25
FORMATTING THE PLOT AREA

The plot area is the area between the axes in
which the data is plotted. You can also think of it
as the chart background. Depending upon the
default format of the chart you choose, the plot
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area may be white, but you can select from a range

of colour, textures or images to fill the plot area.
This can enhance charts if you plan to use them for
presentations.



Currently, the plot area
(background) is clear...
Click on Plot Area

display the options
to
Currently, there is no fill set...

Select Show Plot Area
Nothing happens because the

default fill is white...
Click on Plot Area
select More Plot Area
and
Options to display the

Format Plot Area dialog box
The Fill category settings are

displayed...
Click on Gradient fill then
click on [Close]
The plot area of the chart is

now filled with a blue gradient
For Your Reference
Handy to Know
To format the plot area:
To return the plot area to the default fill

colour, click on Plot Area
and select
Show Plot Area.
1. Click on Plot Area

2. Select More Plot Area Options
3. Make the required selections
4. Click on [Close]
Watsonia Publishing
To remove the plot area fill, click on Plot

Area
and select None.
Page 26
SHOWING THE PLOT AREA

The plot area is the area between the axes in
which the data is plotted. You can also think of it
as the chart background. Depending upon the
default format of the chart you choose, the plot
Try This Yourself:

Open
File
area may be white, but you can select from a range

of colours, textures or images to fill the plot area.
This can enhance charts if you plan to use them for
presentations.

Charting Techniques_8.xlsx...


Currently, the plot area
(background) is clear...
Click on Plot Area
display the options
to
Currently, there is no fill set...

Select Show Plot Area
Nothing happens because the

default fill is white...
Click on Plot Area
select More Plot Area
and
Options to display the

Format Plot Area dialog box
The Fill category settings are
displayed...
Click on Gradient fill then

click on [Close]
The plot area of the chart is

now filled with a blue gradient
For Your Reference
Handy to Know
To format the plot area:
To return the plot area to the default fill

colour, click on Plot Area
and select
Show Plot Area.
1. Click on Plot Area

2. Select More Plot Area Options
3. Make the required selections
4. Click on [Close]
Watsonia Publishing
To remove the plot area fill, click on Plot

Area
and select None.
Page 27
ADDING A TRENDLINE
A trendline is used to depict the trend, showing
an average figure for the values that the chart is
built on and building a prediction of what the
values are likely to be. Trendlines show the
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general direction of results and the expected

direction of future results. There are six trend types
to select from, being linear, logarithmic, polynomial,
power, exponential and moving average.



Click on Trendline
display the options
to
They include various

calculation methods for
trends...
Select Linear Trendline
The Add Trendline dialog box

will appear so that you can
select a particular month...
Click on Mar and then click
on [OK]
A trendline will be added to

your chart and the trendline
information will be added to
the legend
For Your Reference
Handy to Know
To add a trendline:
You can add a trendline to a data series in

unstacked, 2-D, area, bar, column, line,
stock, xy (scatter), or bubble charts. You
cant add trendlines to data series in stacked,
3-D, radar, pie, surface, or doughnut charts.
1. Click on Trendline
2. Select an option
3. Click on the data series you want to create a
trend from
4. Click on [OK]
Watsonia Publishing
Page 28
ADDING ERROR BARS

Error bars are graphical representations of
possible error ranges in figures. The error bar is
placed at the data point to show the possible
variations in value. For example, you could use
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error bars to reflect a potential 2% positive and

negative variation in sampling results. There are
four options for error bars, being fixed value,
standard error, percentage and standard deviation.



Error bars appear at the top
of each column or data point.
Currently they arent shown...
Click on Error Bars
display the options

Select Error Bars with
Standard Error
to
The error bars will be placed

on the chart and the chart will
adjust accordingly
For Your Reference
Handy to Know
To add error bars:
You can access all of the error bar options by

clicking on Error Bars
and selecting
More Error Bars Options.
1. Click on Error Bars

2. Select an option
Watsonia Publishing
You can remove error bars by clicking on

Error Bars
and selecting None.
Page 29
ADDING A TEXT BOX TO A CHART

There may be times when, no matter which chart
layout element you look at, none of them actually
add the information to the chart that you need. In
these situations you can use a text box and type
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whatever you want to. Text boxes can be placed

anywhere on the chart, so you can use them to add
subtitles, author notes, explanations, copyright
information and so on.



Click on Text Box
Insert group
in the
The mouse pointer will

change to an insertion point.
The tool tip will tell you which
part of the chart you are
located over...
Starting between the columns

for Auckland and Dublin,
click and type Anomaly due

to fuel shortage
Drag the right-hand middle
handle to the right so that it
fits the text

Drag up the bottom middle
handle so that it fits the text
Drag the text box to centre it

between the vertical gridlines,
then click in a blank area of

the chart to deselect it
For Your Reference
Handy to Know
To add a text box:
You can also add a text box to a chart by

clicking on Shapes
and clicking on the
Text Box which is the first icon on the left.
Shapes
is found on the Chart Tools:
Layout tab and the Insert tab. Text Box
is also found on the Insert tab.
1. Click on Text Box

2. Click in the chart
3. Type the text
4. Resize and reposition the text box if
necessary
Watsonia Publishing
Page 30
DRAWING SHAPES IN A CHART

You can add shapes to charts to provide
additional information, to point to specific figures,
to indicate anomalies or just for decoration. There
are 160 shapes to choose from, each of which
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can be resized and tweaked, including lines,

rectangles, basic shapes, block arrows, equation
shapes, flowchart shapes, stars and banners, and
callouts.



to display it
Click on Shapes
to
display the options, then point

to the third shape from the left
in the top row
The tool tip will tell you that its
an arrow...
Click on Arrow then hover

over the bottom edge of the
text box
Red squares will help you line
up with the middle of the text
box...
Point to the bottom centre red
square then click and drag
straight down to draw an arrow

It should be parallel with the
columns beside it...
Drag the arrow across slightly,
if you need to, to align it with
the error bar

Click away from the arrow to
deselect it
This chart has way too many details and additions, but illustrates
the types of elements that you can use to enhance charts. In
reality, youd only use some of these elements and keep the
layout simple and uncluttered.
For Your Reference
Handy to Know
To draw a shape on a chart:
Text can be added to shapes by right-clicking

on the shape and selecting Edit Text.
1. Click on Shapes
2. Click on the shape
3. Drag in the chart to draw the shape
Watsonia Publishing
Shapes can be deleted by clicking on the

shape to select it and pressing
.
Page 31
NOTES:
Watsonia Publishing
Page 32
CHAPTER 3
In
FOCUS
CHART OBJECT FORMATTING

While charts are created with a default appearance, you can
change the formatting of each object that comprises the chart to
create a fully customised version.
Watsonia Publishing
gain an understanding of chart objects and how they can be

formatted
learn how to select chart elements
learn how to use shape styles to format objects
learn how to change column colour
learn how to use shape effects
learn how to fill the chart area and the plot area
gain an understanding of the Format dialog box
learn how to use the Format dialog box
learn how to apply a theme to a chart.
Page 33
Chapter 3 - Chart Object Formatting
UNDERSTANDING CHART OBJECT FORMATTING

Charts are complex drawings that are made up of
a wide range of text and graphical elements.
Each object can be formatted individually to
create fully customised charts. The objects in a
chart vary a little depending on the chart type, but

in general the objects are fairly standard. This page
examines a range of chart objects and the
formatting that can be used to modify them.
Chart Objects
Chart objects include lines, shapes and the background of the slide. The following examples apply to
the column chart shown above.
chart background is the area behind the chart and it is usually hidden. You can
insert a picture in the background to make the chart more visually appealing.
The
The chart area is the overall area occupied by the chart.
The plot area is the area in which the figures are plotted.
are the groups of figures plotted on the chart. In this example there are three
series: Jan, Feb and Mar.
Series
vertical and horizontal axes mark the edges of the chart and display the categories
and scale.
The
Object Formatting Options

Shape Fill settings, such as solid colour, gradient, picture and texture, change the inside of a shape.
Shape Outline settings control the colour, weight and pattern of lines or the outlines of shapes.
Shape Effects modify the entire shape by adding different surface textures, shadows, glow effects,
soft edges, bevel effects or 3-D effects. Examples of different effects are shown on the series, plot
area and chart area above.
Shape Styles modify shapes with various combinations of shape fill, outline and effect.
Watsonia Publishing
Page 34
SELECTING CHART ELEMENTS

Before you can apply formatting to an element in
a chart, you need to be able to select it
accurately so that you dont accidentally format
the wrong thing. Once youre comfortable
Open
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working with charts, youll learn where to click to

select specific objects, but if youre not sure, Excel
provides a special control which helps you do just
that. Its called Chart Elements.

Chart Formatting_1.xlsx...
Click in the chart to display the

Chart Tools tab then click on
the Format tab

Click on the Title to select it
Pale blue handles will appear
around the title showing that it

is selected. From here you can
format the title or move it to
another location...
Click on a number in the
vertical axis to select it
You can also select elements

from a list...
Look at the Chart Elements
control in the Current
Selection group
This shows you that the

Vertical (Value) Axis is
currently selected...
Click on the drop arrow for
Chart Elements to display the

list
Select Series Dublin to
select the red line in the chart
Pale blue handles will appear

around each data point...
Click outside the chart to
deselect the series
For Your Reference
Handy to Know
To select chart elements:

1. Click on the element
OR
The only part of the chart that cant be

selected using Chart Elements is the
background.
1. Click on the drop arrow for Chart

Elements and click on the element name
Watsonia Publishing
Page 35
USING SHAPE STYLES TO FORMAT OBJECTS

Shape Styles take the guesswork out of
formatting chart objects by allowing you to apply
a shape fill, outline and effects in one step. They
are especially effective for series objects such as
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columns, lines, bars and pie slices. Theres a range

of styles to choose from plus a selection of
complementary colours.

the file E762 Chart
Formatting_2.xlsx...
Click on the chart sheet tab for

Costs By Month
This is a basic column chart...

Click on the first blue column
for Auckland to select it
The entire Jan series will be

selected...
Click on the Chart Tools:
Format tab then click on the
More button for Shape
Styles to see the options

The tool tip displays the name
of each style as you point to
it...
Click on Intense Effect
Accent 1 (2 column, bottom
row) to apply it
nd
The series will be

reformatted...
Repeat steps 2 to 4 to apply
the corresponding Intense
effects to the Feb (red) and

Mar (green) series
For Your Reference
Handy to Know
To use a shape style to format a chart object:

1. Select the chart object
You can remove a Shape Style by clicking

on the object and clicking on Reset to Match
Style
in the Current Selection group.
2. Click on the More button for Shape

Styles and select the style
Watsonia Publishing
Page 36
CHANGING COLUMN COLOUR

If you need to select alternative colours for a
column in a chart, you can select from a wide
range of preset colours from the current theme,
from a selection of standard colours or even
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specify a custom colour. This allows you format

charts to match corporate style guides or other
colour schemes. Each column in the selected
series will change colour.

the file E762 Chart
If the green series for Mar isnt

already selected, click on the
green column for Auckland

Click on the Chart
Tools:Format tab then click
on the drop arrow for Shape

Fill
to display the options
There is a selection of colours

based on the theme as well as
standard colours and other
effects...
st
Click on Orange, Accent 6 (1

row, far right column) to apply
the colour to the series
This is one way to change
colour...
Shape Fill
then select
More Fill Colours to display
the Colours dialog box
You can specify any colour
you like...
Click on the Standard tab then
click on green in the middle
row (3 from left)

rd
Click on [OK] to apply the

intense green colour
You can mix your own colour by specifying red, green and
blue values on the Custom tab of the Colours dialog box.
For Your Reference
Handy to Know
To change column colour:

1. Click on the column in the series to select it
You can also select an alternative colour

using Shape Styles or apply one of the
picture, gradient or texture effects under
Shape Fill
.
2. Click on the drop arrow for Shape Fill

3. Click on the colour of your choice
Watsonia Publishing
If you click on Shape Fill itself rather than

the drop arrow, it will apply the colour shown
on the tool.
Page 37
USING SHAPE EFFECTS

Just to make sure that you never run out of
options or get bored creating charts, Excel
includes a huge range of shape effects that you
can apply to objects in your chart. Shape effects
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include presets, shadows, reflections, glow, soft

edges, bevel and 3-D rotation. You can apply one
or more effects although some settings override
others. Try a few and have fun!

Chart Formatting_7.xlsx...
Click on the green line to

select it
Click on Shape Effects
on the Chart Tools: Format

tab to display the list of options
Select Shadow then click on
the first option on the left under
Outer
The tool tip will read Offset
Diagonal Bottom Right. A
shadow will appear below the
first line...
Click on the purple line and

press
repeats the previous

command and therefore
applies the same shadow to
this line...
Repeat step 4 for the orange

and blue lines then click
outside the chart to deselect it
For Your Reference
Handy to Know
To apply a shape effect:

1. Click on a shape to select it
The colours available under Glow are

controlled by the theme that is in place.
Themes can be viewed, changed and
modified on the Page Layout tab. Themes
also affect the colours listed under Shape
Fill
and Shape Outline
.
2. Click on Shape Effects

3. Point to the shape effect you want then
select an option
Watsonia Publishing
Page 38
FILLING THE CHART AREA AND THE PLOT AREA

While you can play with the colours of lines and
bars on a chart, sometimes all you need to do to
jazz up a chart is to change the background
areas of the chart. The area behind the lines,
columns, bars and pie slices is known as the plot

area, while the area outside (and behind) the plot
area is known as the chart area. These areas can
be modified using the Shape Fill
options.
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the file E762 Chart
Click on the blank area above

the top gridline then click on
the Chart Tools: Format tab
You should see the name

Chart Area displayed in the
Chart Elements control, which
tells you that the Chart Area is
selected...
Shape Fill
then point to
Texture and select Blue
st
th
tissue paper (1 column 5
row)
The area behind the plot area
will be filled...
Click in the plot area which is

the white area behind the lines
Blue handles should appear at

each corner...
Shape Fill
and select
Tan, Background 2 under
Theme Colours
This tones down the white
area a little to make it more
compatible with the chart area
fill
For Your Reference
Handy to Know
To fill the plot area or chart area:

1. Click on the plot area or chart area
If you set the fill for the plot area to No Fill,

the fill for the chart area will be visible
throughout the chart. This is the default
setting for pie charts.
2. Click on the drop arrow for Shape Fill

and select an option
Watsonia Publishing
When you apply a fill to the plot area, be

careful not to compromise the readability of
the chart.
Page 39
THE FORMAT DIALOG BOX

Each object in a chart can be formatted and
adjusted in a myriad of ways. These settings are
so numerous that they would just not fit on a
ribbon or in a single dialog box, so Excel has
created many dialog boxes for the purpose and

each of these is prefixed Format. This page
examines some examples of the Format dialog box
and how they are used and accessed.
Accessing The Format Dialog Box

The Format dialog box for each object or element on a chart can be displayed by selecting the
element and then clicking on Format Selection
or on the dialog box launcher for Shape Styles,
or by right-clicking on the element and selecting Format.
Variation in the Format Dialog Box

Depending upon the element that you have selected when you display the Format dialog box, and
the type of chart that you are working with, you will see a series of setting categories and various
controls within these. Some samples are shown below:
Watsonia Publishing
Page 40
USING THE FORMAT DIALOG BOX

The Format dialog box includes a series of
categories of settings for the chart element that
you had selected when you displayed the dialog
box. These categories vary as do the settings in
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each category. However, the controls provide great

flexibility and allow you to take formatting to a
whole new level.

the file E762 Chart
Click on the pie to select the

slices
Click on Format Selection
on the Chart Tools:Format

tab to display the Format Data
Series dialog box
The controls relate specifically
to a pie chart...
Select the percentage 0% for
Pie Explosion and type 12
Click on the Shadow category

then click on Presets under
Shadow and click on

Perspective Diagonal Lower
Right (last option)
Click on [Close]
The changes will have been

applied to the chart
For Your Reference
Handy to Know
To use the Format dialog box:

1. Click on the chart element
While you have the Format dialog box open,

you can click on different parts of the chart
and the Format dialog box will change
automatically to display the relevant settings.
2. Click on Format Selection

3. Make the required changes
4. Click on [Close]
Watsonia Publishing
Page 41
USING THEMES
If you cant be bothered fiddling around with the
fine detail of formatting a chart, or simply dont
have time to indulge in fancy formatting, you can
use a theme to change the appearance of a
Same
File
Try This Yourself:
chart. The advantages of using themes are that

there is a wide range to select from, they format all
aspects of the chart and they are consistent if you
need to format charts in separate workbooks.

the file E762 Chart
Click on the chart sheet tab for

Costs By Month
This is a standard column

chart with colour and effect
changes. The chart needs to
be reset before you can apply
a theme...
Click on the edge of the chart

to select the chart area, then
click on the Chart

Tools:Format tab
Click on Reset to Match Style
This removes all individual

modifications such as colour
changes and shape effects...
Click on the Page Layout tab
then click on Themes

to
display the list

Click on Apex (or a theme of
your choice) to apply the
formatting changes then click

outside the chart to deselect it
Notice the change to the fonts
and colours
For Your Reference
Handy to Know
To apply a theme to a chart:

1. Select the chart
2. Click on the Page Layout tab then click on
Themes
Before you apply a theme, you must remove

any existing formats that you dont want
retained by clicking on Reset to Match Style
. Individual changes to shape fill, outlines
and effects override themes.
3. Select the required theme
Watsonia Publishing
Themes format the entire workbook.
Page 42
CHAPTER 4
In
FOCUS
WORKING WITH CHARTS

Excel 2010 allows you to create an almost unlimited number of
charts. Charts can either be embedded objects on a worksheet or
they can reside on their own dedicated chart sheet in the workbook.
You can easily copy or move charts within the same workbook or to
different workbooks, if you so wish.
Watsonia Publishing
learn how to move charts within the same workbook
learn how to copy a chart within the same workbook
learn how to move or copy charts between workbooks.
Page 43
Chapter 4 - Working with Charts
MOVING CHARTS WITHIN A WORKBOOK

If youve created charts within an existing
workbook, you can easily move the chart to
another location within the same workbook. You
can move a chart object on the worksheet or to
Open
File
Try This Yourself:
another worksheet in the same workbook.

Alternatively, Excel provides an option to move a
chart object from the worksheet onto a dedicated
chart sheet in the workbook.

you MUST open the file EK760
Working with Charts_1.xlsx...
On the Data worksheet, click

and drag the chart object to
move it so that it aligns more

evenly with the worksheet data
lets move the chart to a
separate sheet rather than as
Now
an embedded chart object...
With the chart object still

selected, on the Chart
Tools:Design tab click on the
Move Chart button

In the Move Chart dialog box,
select New Sheet, type the
sheet name as Water Usage

Analysis and click [OK]
Now lets move the chart back

to an embedded object on the
Data worksheet...
With the Water Usage
Analysis sheet selected, click
on the Chart Tools:Design

tab click on the Move Chart
button
Select Object in and ensure
Data is specified and then click
[OK]
You may need to move and/or
resize the chart object on the
Data sheet as well as resizing
the legend box
For Your Reference
Handy to Know
To move a chart from one location to another:
Click and drag the chart to move it to

another location on the same worksheet
In addition to using the Move Chart button

on the Chart Tools:Design tab, you can
also right click on a chart and Move Chart.
Select the chart and then click Move Chart

on the Chart Tools:Design tab this
option also lets you move a chart object to
a chart sheet
You can also use cut and paste to move a

chart but only to move a chart object from
one location to another but you cant use this
to move a chart object to a chart sheet.
Watsonia Publishing
Page 44
COPYING CHARTS WITHIN A WORKBOOK

You can copy charts within a worksheet. For
example, you may like to create two different
chart types using the same data. This could be
done by copying one chart, and then changing
Same
File
Try This Yourself:
the chart type of the second, giving you two charts

showing different perspectives of the data. A line
chart, for example, could show you trends while a
pie chart would show you proportions.

the file EK760 Working with
Charts_2.xlsx...
On the Data worksheet, right

mouse click on the chart to
select the chart area and

choose Copy
Right click in the cell just below
the lower left corner of the first
chart and choose Paste

With the second version of the
chart still selected, click on the
Chart Tools:Design tab

Click the Change Chart Type
button
Change the chart type to

Doughnut and then click [OK]
For Your Reference
Handy to Know
To copy a chart within the same workbook:

1. Right click on the chart you wish to copy and
choose Copy
2. Right click where you want the copied chart
to appear and choose Paste
When you a copy and paste a chart, the

copied chart still links to the original data
areas of the original chart. You can,
however, change the chart type or any of the
other chart characteristics without affecting
the original chart.
Watsonia Publishing
Page 45
MOVING OR COPYING CHARTS TO ANOTHER WORKBOOK

You can move or copy charts between
workbooks. For example, you might create a
chart for a department, but dont want to share
the underlying data with them. You can create
Same
File
Try This Yourself:
the chart in the workbook that holds the data, and

then move/copy it to another. Charts that have
been moved/copied retain links to the source data
so the chart can be updated if necessary.

the file EK760 Working with
Charts_3.xlsx...
On the Data sheet, right

mouse click on the pie chart
and choose Copy
In the blank workbook, right

click in C3 and choose Paste
Create a new blank workbook
Save the new workbook as

Water Catchment Analysis
Charts.xlsx
Switch back to the original
workbook and change the
Northern Usage to 2,000,000

for all three months
Notice the charts update
Switch back to the new

workbook and check that the
copied chart has updated too

Switch back to EK760
Working with Charts_3.xlsx
Right click on the Catchment

Forecasts chart sheet and
choose Move or Copy

In the To book list select
Water Catchment Analysis
Charts.xlsx, in Before sheet

choose Sheet 2 and check
Create a copy then click [OK]
Save and close both
workbooks
For Your Reference
Handy to Know
To copy/move charts to another workbook:
You can copy/cut a chart and paste it into

another workbook as a picture object using
the Paste Special option. Using this
method, if the original data/chart updates, the
pasted picture doesnt update but retains the
original chart picture.
Copy or cut the original chart and paste

into a new or existing workbook
Right click on the chart sheet, choose

Move or Copy and complete the dialog
box options
Or
Watsonia Publishing
Page 46
CONCLUDING REMARKS
Congratulations!
You have now completed Charting with Excel 2010 Tutor-Led Manual v1.0. Charting with Excel
2010 Tutor-Led Manual v1.0 was designed to get you to the point where you can competently
perform a variety of operations.
We have tried to build up your skills and knowledge by having you work through specific tasks.
The step by step approach will serve as a reference for you when you need to repeat a task.
Where To From Here

The following is a little advice about what to do next:
Spend some time playing with what you have learnt. You should reinforce the skills that you
have acquired and use some of the application's commands. This will test just how much of
the concepts and features have stuck! Don't try a big task just yet if you can avoid it - small
is a good way to start.
Some aspects of the course may now be a little vague. Go over some of the points that you
may be unclear about. Use the examples and exercises in these notes and have another go
- these step-by-step notes were designed to help you in the classroom and in the work
place!
Here're a few techniques and strategies that we've found handy for learning more about
technology:
read computer magazines - there are often useful articles about specific techniques
if you have the skills and facilities browse the Internet, specifically the technical pages of
the application that you have just learnt
take an interest in what your work colleagues have done and how they did it - we don't
suggest that you plagiarise but you can certainly learn from the techniques of others
if your software came with a manual (which is rare nowadays) spend a bit of time each day
reading a few pages. Then try the techniques out straight away - over a period of time
you'll learn a lot this way
and of course, there are also more courses and books for you to work through.
Watsonia Publishing
Page 47
Concluding Remarks
INDEX
data table charting 18, 23
deleting charts 15
dialog box Format 40
draw shapes 31
3
3D rotation 38
A
add trendline 28
area chart 3
axes modify 24
axes titles 20
axes 18
axis title 18
select chart elements 35

shadow 38
shape effects 38
shape format presets 38
shapes charting 18, 31
show plot area 27
soft edges 38
E
effects shapes 38
embedded charts 6
embedding charts 14
error bars 18, 29
T
text box charting 18, 30
theme chart 42
title chart 19
titles axes 20
trendline 18, 28
F
B
fill chart area 39

fill plot area 39
format chart 40
Format dialog box 40, 41
format objects 36
format plot area 26, 27
formatting chart objects 34
bar chart 3
bevel 38
C
change column colour 37
changing chart layout 11
changing chart types 10
chart area fill 39
chart background 26, 27
chart data table 23
chart elements format 41
chart elements select 35
chart error bars 29
chart layout 11
chart object formatting 34
chart object 6
chart shape effects 38
chart shapes 31
chart sheet 13, 9
chart style 12
chart text box 30
chart title 18, 19
chart trendline 28
chart types 10, 4
chart 3
charting gridlines 25
charting theme 42
charts, chart sheet 44
charts, copying between
workbooks 46
charts, copying 45
charts, Move Chart dialog
box 44
charts, moving between
workbooks 46
charts, moving 44
charts 2, 5
colour columns 37
column chart 3
column charts 5
column colour 37
creating charts 5
D
data labels 18, 22
G
glow 38
gridlines 18, 25
H
horizontal axis title 20
horizontal axis 24
horizontal gridlines 25
L
labels data 22
legend position 21
legend 18
line chart 3
M
modify axes 24
O
object formatting 36
objects 6
P
Page Setup dialog box 8
pie chart 3
plot area fill 39
plot area 18, 26, 27
print a chart sheet 13
printing charts 13, 8
R
reflection 38
remove legend 21
resizing a chart 7
S
scale axes 24
scatter chart 3
V
vertical axis 24
vertical gridlines 25
vertical title axis 20
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Tut

CHARTING WITH EXCEL 2010

Designed to fast-track you through the process of learning about computers

a classroom workbook for instructor-led teaching and training;

a self-study guide for self-paced learning;

a tutorial guide for distance education programs;

a resource collection of just-in-time support and information for help

a handy, desk-side reference for computer users.

CHARTING WITH EXCEL 2010

CHARTING WITH EXCEL 2010

Copyright 2012 Melbourne

Charting with Excel 2010 - Tutor-Led Manual v1.0

This section contains some important information to

Who this course is for...

What skills and knowledge

What you'll need to know

The objectives of this guide

At the completion of this course you should be able to:

What you get in a Chapter...

create effective charts in Microsoft Excel

What you'll need to have

As you work through this

Where to from here...

Charting with Excel 2010 - Tutor-Led Manual v1.0

WORKING WITH TOPIC SHEETS

The majority of this book comprises single-page

General topic overview provides an introduction to the topic

Try This Yourself (Task-based topic sheets) is a detailed step-by-step practice

The Handy To Know (optional) element provides additional information such as

Charting with Excel 2010 - Tutor-Led Manual v1.0

Understanding The Charting Process ............................................................ 2

Chapter 2: Charting Techniques

Understanding Chart Layout Elements ........................................................ 18

Chapter 3: Chart Object Formatting

Understanding Chart Object Formatting ....................................................... 34

Chapter 4: Working with Charts

Moving Charts within a Workbook ................................................................ 44

Charting with Excel 2010 - Tutor-Led Manual v1.0

Charting with Excel 2010 - Tutor-Led Manual v1.0

In this session you will:

gain an understanding of how charts are created and

gain an understanding of common chart types

gain an overview of different chart types

learn how to create a new chart in Microsoft Excel

learn how to work with an embedded chart

learn how to resize the chart

learn how to print an embedded chart

learn how to create a chart sheet

learn how to change the chart type of an existing chart

learn how the change the chart layout of an existing chart

learn how to change the style of a chart

learn how to print a chart sheet

learn how to embed a chart into a worksheet

learn how to delete a chart.

Chapter 1 - Creating Charts

Charting with Excel 2010 - Tutor-Led Manual v1.0

UNDERSTANDING THE CHARTING PROCESS

the worksheet data. But the beauty of the charting

The Charting Process

Chapter 1 - Creating Charts

Charting with Excel 2010 - Tutor-Led Manual v1.0

UNDERSTANDING COMMON CHART TYPES

you can see at a glance how values compare.

Common Chart Types