What to expect from this chapter?
• The Basics of Worksheet Charting
• Adding Sparkline Graphics
• Adding Infographics
• Printing Charts
Charts showcase data on your worksheet in a visual manner, by representing columns and rows as bars on a chart or graph. Charts and graphs have been part of spreadsheets because they enable you to see patterns that you can’t easily see from the numbers per se.
In this chapter, you will be acquainted with the jargon used in Excel to refer to the parts of the chart, such as data marker and chart data series, as well as axis. Getting acquainted with these terms is important as they guide you through the simple steps needed to create the graph or chart that you want.
The Basics of Worksheet Charting
The Excel chart is made up of different parts. These include:
Chart area – all the space inside the chart window, including all parts of the chart.
Data marker – a symbol that represents a single value in the spreadsheet
Chart data series – a group of related values in a single row in the chart
Series formula – a formal that describes the given series, including a reference to the cell that has the data series
information.
Axis – it is the line that acts as a major reference for plotting data on the chart.
Tick mark – a small line that intersects an axis.
Plot area – the area wherein Excel plots the data, including the axes and markers that represent data points
Gridlines – lines extending from the tick marks across the plot area
Chart text – a label added to the chart
Legend – the key that names patterns, colors, or symbols linked to the markers of a chart data series
Adding recommended charts
One of the easiest ways to add a chart on your spreadsheet is by using the Recommended Charts that can be found on the Insert tab (Alt+NR). In this tab, you can see how the selected worksheet data will be represented in different chart types by simply clicking their thumbnails. Once you have chosen a chart type, just click the OK button to embed it on your worksheet.
Adding specific chart types
Aside from Recommended Charts, you may also use different styles of charts, such as:
Column or Bar Chart Hierarchy Chart
Waterfall, Funnel, Stock, Surface, or Radar Chart Line or Area Chart
Statistic Chart Combo Chart
Pie or Doughnut Chart
Scatter (X, Y) or Bubble Chart
Maps PivotChart
When using the galleries linked to these chart commands, you may embed the chart in your worksheet by clicking its corresponding icon. If you are not sure of the kind of chart that best represents your data, then you may use the All Charts tab to try out your data in different chart representations.
Editing your chart’s source data
There are times when you need to edit the data of your chart, and you can do this by clicking Select Data on the Design tab of the Chart Tools. Excel then opens the Select Data Source dialog box and this enables you to make the following modifications:
Modify the range of data being graphed Switch column and row headings
Edit labels that identify the data series in the legend Add an additional data series to the chart
Remove a label from the legend Change the order of the data series
Show how to deal with empty cells in the data range Show data in Hidden Rows and Columns
Adding Sparkline Graphics
Excel 2019 has a feature called “sparklines,” which show trends or variations in your collected data. These are tiny graphs whose data can be any of the following chart types:
Line – represents chosen worksheet data as a connected line whose vectors show their relative value
Column – represents selected worksheet data as small columns Win/Loss – represents the selected worksheet data as a win/loss
chart
You can add sparklines to your worksheet by doing the following steps:
1. Choose the cells with the data you want to be represented by a sparkline.
2. Click the type of chart you want for the sparkline in the Sparklines group at the Insert Tab or press Alt+NSL for line, Alt+NSO for column, or Alt+NSW for win/loss.
3. Choose the cell or range of cells where you want to add your sparkline in the Location Range text box, then click OK to close.
Adding Infographics
Aside from graphs, Excel 2019 also allows you to add infographics to your worksheet via the Bing Maps and People Graph at the drop-down menu of the Insert Tab’s Add-Ins button. These infographics enhancements allow you to create visual representations of worksheet data that is based on regions, and point out trends that quickly show their most pertinent information.
In order to do this, you need geographically-related data. Excel recognizes certain geographic regions automatically, and these include:
Names of countries, such as USA, Canada, China, etc.
Names of provinces, such as Ontario, Ontario, Manitoba, etc.
Names of states, such as California, Florida, New Mexico, etc.
Two-letter state abbreviations, such as NY, MD, CA Postal codes such as 90210, 44135, WC2N 5DU
Printing Charts
When printing an embedded chart, you simply go to the Print Settings screen or press Ctrl+P. To print the chart without the supporting data, click the chart to select it before pressing Ctrl+P. In the Print Selected Chart you will see a default selection in the first drop-down menu, and a preview of the chart appears in the Preview pane on the right of the screen.
To print a chart that is on a separate chart sheet, activate the chart sheet by clicking its sheet tab and then press Ctrl+P to go to the Print panel, then choose Print Active Sheet in order to print the said chart.
Chapter 16