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Sample spreadsheet
** Setup your spreadsheet properly **
Assuming you're starting from scratch with a blank worksheet, it's very important that you set things up the right way! This will make life easier in the end.
So the first thing to do is have column and/or row headings that are formatted differently from your data (info).
Why is this so important? Because when it comes time to make our chart, it will help Excel determine what is what. In other words, Excel will be able to know immediately what your headings are and what your info is. Without this difference in formatting, Excel won't know! And that means it'll assume everything is info.
I setup a worksheet that shows sales in our various regions. Notice how I bolded and centered my headings. Now Excel will be able to tell that the bolded and centered cells are our headings.
You don't have to use bolding. Instead, you can use a different or larger font size, italics, centering, colored text, etc. So long as your heading is formatted differently from your info, Excel will be able to see the difference. I just find bolding a fast and easy to accomplish this, so that's what I use. - 2
Highlighting your info and headings
** Making your chart part 1**
Now that we have our headings and info entered and formatted properly, we can begin to make our chart. The first thing to do is highlight the headings and corresponding info that we want in our chart.
Why do we highlight the headings and not just the info (data)? It's because without doing this, Excel won't know what that info represents. To Excel, it'll just be meaningless numbers. But taking the headings explains to Excel what those numbers represent and mean. When the chart is made, Excel will put those headings in for us so people looking at the chart will know what those numbers represent. And that makes it look nice and easy to read! - 3). ** Making your chart part 2**
We're not at the point where we can actually start putting our chart together.
(a) Click on the INSERT menu
(b) Then click on CHART
(c) A menu will appear that lets you choose the type of chart you want to create. Just choose the one you'd like to make.
For instance, a COLUMN chart will have an up and down bar to show your info. A BAR chart will look similar to the column one, except that your info will be shown left to right instead of up and down. A PIE chart will display your info in the shape of a pizza with each piece of info occupying its own slice. And a LINE chart will be a simple graph with a line connecting each piece of data. - 4
Chart types
** Making your chart part 3**
Ok, you've chosen the type of chart you want to make. Now depending upon which chart type you've chosen, your options will differ. But you'll may be given some options on how to organize your chart.
For example, you can make a chart that's 3-d. Or have a pie chart with each slice spaced apart (separated out) from the others. You may also have the opportunity to type-in a title for your chart. Or label your X (horizontal) and Y (vertical) axis.
Once you've gone through all your options and have set them the way you'd like, your chart is now ready to go! And Excel might give you the choice of having your chart in its own worksheet or placed within your existing worksheet. Some people like their charts separate, while others prefer them with their info. Either way, the choice is yours to make.
With my example worksheet, I chose a simple column chart. Feel free to take a look at it so you can see how Excel put the heading in there for us. - 5
Sample completed chart
** Updating your data and chart **
The nice thing about Microsoft Excel is that it will automatically update your chart as your information changes! So if I were to go back and change a particular region's sales, my chart will automatically be revised. This means you won't have to go back and manually go through the chartmaking process all over again.
And if you decide you want a different kind of chart, you can do that too. For instance, changing from a column to a pie chart.
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