Excel Charts Quick Tutorial

Line Chart 

Create a Line chart to show continuous time-series data.

We'll use daily stock prices or daily sales as an example. 

How to Create a Line chart

• INSERT >> Charts groups >> select icon for Line chart >> 2D Line/3D Line

Modify Chart

• CHART TOOLS-DESIGN >> Chart Layout group >> Quick Layout
• CHART TOOLS-DESIGN >> Chart Styles group >> Change Colors
• CHART TOOLS-DESIGN >> Chart Styles group >> choose a Style

Sparklines

• Sparklines are mini charts placed within single cells
  • INSERT >> Sparkline's group >> Line

Column Chart

Create a Column chart to display discrete time series data.

For example, data that repeats at a fixed interval of time, like weekly, monthly, quarterly or annually.

Create a Column chart:

• INSERT >> Charts groups >> select icon for Column chart >> One of chart types

Modify the chart elements individually

• CHART TOOLS DESIGN >> Chart Layouts group >> Add Chart
  • Axes: Add/remove primary horizontal axis and primary vertical axis
  • Axis Titles: Add titles to the horizontal or vertical axis
  • Chart Title: Add/remove title at the top of chart
  • Data Labels: Add/remove labels for each data point
  • Data Table: Add/remove data table from the chart object itself
  • Error Bars: Add/remove visualization for standard error, percentage error, and standard deviation
  • Gridlines: Add/remove major/minor gridlines to both the horizontal and vertical axes
  • Legend: Add/remove/move legend
  • Trendline: Apply one of several types of trendlines to the data

Trendlines:

Trendlines are used to show the prevailing direction of data

• Linear: creates a best fit, straight-line for linear data sets
• Exponential: creates a curved line useful for data that rises or falls at constantly increasing rates
• Linear Forecast: creates a linear trendline that forecasts into the future
• Moving Average: creates a line by averaging a specific number of data points (defaults to 2)

To Apply a Trendline:

1. Click on the chart
2. CHART TOOLS DESIGN >> Chart Layouts group >> Add Chart Element >> Trendline

Pie Chart

Create a Pie chart to show the relationship of parts to the whole. 

For example: to display market share or revenue by division. 

To Create a Pie chart:

• INSERT >> Charts groups >> select icon for Pie chart

The type of chart can be changed at any time while preserving all pre-selected formatting

1. Change the chart from a 2D Pie Chart to a 3D Pie Chart CHART TOOLS DESIGN >>Type group >> Change Chart Type
2. Choose "3D Pie chart"

Attention can be given to a sector of the Pie chart, by pulling away a particular "piece" of the pie

1. Click on one portion of the Pie Chart
   • Each vertex (place where two or more lines meet) will display a small, blue circle
2. Click again on that same section
   • This time, only those vertices pertaining to that slice will display the small, blue circles
3. Click a third time and slightly drag the piece away from the rest of the pie

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