How To Change Chart Type In Excel

Lesson 22: Charts

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Introduction

It tin frequently be difficult to interpret Excel workbooks that incorporate a lot of information. Charts let you to illustrate your workbook information graphically, which makes it easy to visualize comparisons and trends.

Optional: Download our practice workbook.

Understanding charts

Excel has several unlike types of charts, assuasive you to choose the one that best fits your data. In order to use charts effectively, you'll need to understand how unlike charts are used.

Click the arrows in the slideshow beneath to larn more most the types of charts in Excel.

Excel has a variety of chart types, each with its own advantages. Click the arrows to see some of the different types of charts available in Excel.
Column charts employ vertical bars to represent data. They can work with many different types of data, just they're almost ofttimes used for comparison data.
Line charts are platonic for showing trends. The data points are connected with lines, making it easy to come across whether values are increasing or decreasing over time.
Pie charts brand it piece of cake to compare proportions. Each value is shown as a slice of the pie, so it's piece of cake to see which values make up the percentage of a whole.
Bar charts work just like column charts, but they use horizontal confined instead of vertical confined.
Area charts are similar to line charts, except the areas under the lines are filled in.
Surface charts allow you to display data beyond a 3D landscape. They work all-time with large data sets, allowing you to see a variety of information at the same time.

In addition to chart types, you'll need to understand how to read a chart. Charts contain several different elements, or parts, that tin aid you interpret the data.

Click the buttons in the interactive below to learn about the different parts of a chart.

labeled graphic

Legend

The legend identifies which information series each color on the chart represents.

In this case, the fable identifies the different salespeople in the nautical chart.

Chart Championship

The title should clearly describe what the chart is illustrating.

Vertical Axis

The vertical centrality (as well known as the y axis ) is the vertical part of the chart.

Hither, the vertical axis measures the value of the columns, and so information technology is also called the value axis. In this instance, the measured value is each salesperson's net sales.

Horizontal Centrality

The horizontal axis (besides known as the x axis ) is the horizontal part of the chart.

Here, the horizontal centrality identifies the categories in the chart. In this example, each sales quarter is placed in its own grouping.

Data Series

The data serial consists of the related data points in a chart.

In this case, the blueish columns correspond net sales by Robert Johnson. We know his data is blue because of the legend on the right.

Reading the data series, nosotros tin run into that Robert was the top salesperson in quarters 1 and 3, while he was the second highest in quarters 2 and four.

To insert a chart:

Select the cells you want to chart, including the column titles and row labels. These cells will be the source data for the chart. In our example, nosotros'll select cells A1:F6.
Selecting cells A1:F6
From the Insert tab, click the desired Chart command. In our instance, we'll select Cavalcade.
Clicking the Column nautical chart command
Choose the desired chart type from the drop-downwardly menu.
Choosing a chart blazon
The selected chart volition be inserted in the worksheet.
The inserted chart

If y'all're not sure which type of chart to employ, the Recommended Charts command will suggest several different charts based on the source information.

Screenshot of Excel 2013 Clicking the Recommended Charts command

Chart layout and style

After inserting a chart, in that location are several things you may want to change about the way your data is displayed. It's easy to edit a chart's layout and manner from the Design tab.

Excel allows you to add together chart elements—such as chart titles, legends, and information labels—to make your nautical chart easier to read. To add a chart chemical element, click the Add Chart Element control on the Design tab, then choose the desired element from the drop-downwards menu.

Adding a nautical chart championship
To edit a chart element, like a chart title, only double-click the placeholder and begin typing.
Editing the chart title placeholder text
If yous don't want to add chart elements individually, you can utilize i of Excel'southward predefined layouts. Merely click the Quick Layout control, then choose the desired layout from the drop-downwards card.
Choosing a chart layout
Excel also includes several different chart styles, which allow you to speedily modify the look and feel of your nautical chart. To alter the chart style, select the desired fashion from the Chart styles group.
Choosing a new nautical chart mode

You tin can besides use the chart formatting shortcut buttons to quickly add chart elements, alter the chart style, and filter the chart information.

Screenshot of Excel 2013 Chart formatting shortcuts

Other nautical chart options

There are many other ways to customize and organize your charts. For example, Excel allows y'all to rearrange a nautical chart'south data, change the chart blazon, and even move the chart to a different location in the workbook.

To switch row and column data:

Sometimes y'all may want to alter the way charts group your data. For case, in the chart below, the Book Sales data are grouped by yr, with columns for each genre. However, nosotros could switch the rows and columns so the chart volition group the information past genre, with columns for each twelvemonth. In both cases, the nautical chart contains the same data—it'south just organized differently.

Screenshot of Excel 2013 The information grouped by twelvemonth, with columns for each genre

Select the chart you desire to modify.
From the Blueprint tab, select the Switch Row/Column command.

Clicking the Switch Rows/Columns command
The rows and columns will exist switched. In our example, the data is now grouped by genre, with columns for each year.
The switched row and column data

To alter the chart type:

If y'all discover that your data isn't well suited to a certain chart, information technology'due south easy to switch to a new chart type. In our example, we'll change our chart from a Column nautical chart to a Line chart.

From the Design tab, click the Change Nautical chart Type command.
Clicking the Change Chart Type command
The Change Chart Type dialog box will announced. Select a new chart blazon and layout, and so click OK. In our example, we'll choose a Line chart.
Choosing a new chart type
The selected chart type volition announced. In our example, the line chart makes it easier to run into trends in the sales data over fourth dimension.

The new chart blazon

To movement a chart:

Whenever yous insert a new nautical chart, it will announced every bit an object on the aforementioned worksheet that contains its source information. Alternatively, you can move the chart to a new worksheet to help proceed your data organized.

Select the chart you lot want to motion.
Click the Design tab, then select the Move Nautical chart command.
Clicking the Move Chart command
The Move Nautical chart dialog box volition appear. Select the desired location for the chart. In our example, we'll choose to move information technology to a New sheet, which will create a new worksheet.
Click OK.
Moving the chart to a new worksheet
The nautical chart volition appear in the selected location. In our case, the chart now appears on a new worksheet.
The nautical chart on its own worksheet

Keeping charts up to date

Past default, when you add together more data to your spreadsheet, the chart may non include the new data. To fix this, you lot tin adjust the data range. Simply click the chart, and it will highlight the data range in your spreadsheet. You tin can then click and drag the handle in the lower-right corner to modify the data range.

Screenshot of adjusting a data range

If you lot frequently add more than data to your spreadsheet, it may get tedious to update the data range. Luckily, there is an easier fashion. Simply format your source data equally a table, so create a nautical chart based on that table. When you add more than data below the table, it will automatically be included in both the table and the nautical chart, keeping everything consequent and upward to engagement.

Lookout the video below to learn how to apply tables to keep charts up to appointment.

Challenge!

Open an existing Excel workbook. If you want, you tin use our practise workbook.
Use worksheet data to create a nautical chart. If you are using the example, use the cell range A1:F6 as the source data for the nautical chart.
Change the chart layout. If you are using the example, select Layout viii.
Apply a chart style.
Move the nautical chart. If yous are using the example, motion the nautical chart to a new worksheet named Book Sales Data: 2008-2012.