Excel Column Chart Step by Step Tutorial

By Ted French, About.com Guide See More About: excel column charts excel bar graphs excel charts and graphs 1 of 9

Create a Column Chart in Excel

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Excel 2007 / 2010 Column Chart Ted French

Column Chart Uses

Bar graphs or "column charts" as they are known in Excel are most often used to show amounts or the number of times a value occurs.

The amounts are displayed using a vertical bar or rectangle. The taller the column, the greater number of times the value occurs.

Column charts make it easy to see the differences in the data being compared.

Excel Column Chart Step by Step Tutorial

Following the steps in this tutorial walks you through creating and formatting the column chart seen in the image above.

Entering the Chart Data

Excel 2007 / 2010 Column Chart Ted French

Enter the Chart Data

The first step in creating a column chart is to enter the data into the worksheet.

When entering the data, keep these rules in mind:

1. 2.

Don't leave blank rows or columns when entering your data. Enter your data in columns.

Note: When laying out your spreadsheet, list the names describing the data in one column and, to the right of that, the data itself. If there is more than one data series, list them one after the other in columns with the title for each data series at the top.

To follow this tutorial, enter the data located in step 9.

Select the Column Chart Data

Excel 2007 Column Chart Ted French

Two Options for Selecting the Chart Data

Using the mouse

1.

Drag select with the mouse button to highlight the cells containing the data to be included in the column chart.

Using the keyboard

1. 2. 3.

Click on the top left of the column charts's data. Hold down the SHIFT key on the keyboard. Use the arrow keys on the keyboard to select the data to be included in the column chart.

Note: Be sure to select any column and row titles that you want included in the chart.

For this tutorial

1.

Highlight the range of cells from A2 to D5, which includes the column titles and the row headings

Selecting a Column Chart Type

Excel 2007 Column Chart Ted French

Selecting a Column Chart Type

Note: For help with these instructions, see the image example above.

1. 2.

Click on the Insert ribbon tab. Click on a chart category to open the drop down list of available chart types. (Hovering your mouse pointer over a chart type will bring up a description of the chart type).

3.

Click on a chart type to select it.

For this tutorial

1. 2.

Choose Insert > Column > 3-d Clustered Column. A basic column chart is created and placed on your worksheet. The following pages cover formatting this chart to match the column chart shown in Step 1 of this tutorial.

The Basic Column Chart

Excel 2007 Column Chart Ted French

Formatting options for the column chart

Use the links below to complete the formatting for the basic column chart.

Choosing a style for the column chart Adding a title to the chart Adding a drop shadow to the title Coloring the chart background Changing the gridline color Beveling the chart edge Coloring the chart floor Hiding the vertical axis Applying 3-d rotation to the chart

Formatting the Column Chart - 1

Excel 2007 / 2010 Column Chart

 Ted French

Chart Tools Ribbon

Note: For help with these instructions, see the image example above.

When you click on a chart, three tabs - the Design, Layout, and Format tabs are added to the ribbon under the title of Chart Tools.

Choosing a style for the column chart

1. 2.

Click on the column chart. Click on the Design tab.

3. Choose Style 3 of the Chart Styles . Return to the format options list

Adding a title to the chart

1. 2. 3.

Click on the Layout tab. Click on Chart Title under the Labels section. Select the third option - Above Chart.

4. Type in the title "2003 - 05 Income Summary " . Return to the format options list

Formatting the Column Chart - 2

Excel 2007 / 2010 Column Chart Ted French

Formatting the Column Chart - 2

Note: For help with these instructions, see the image example above.

Adding a drop shadow to the title

1. 2. 3.

Drag select the chart title. Click on the Format ribbon tab. Choose Text Effects > Shadow > Offset Right.

Return to the format options list

Coloring the chart background

1. 2. 3.

Click on the chart background. Click on the Shape Fill > Gradient > Linear Diagonal option. Choose Shape Fill > Gradient > More Gradients to bring up the Format Chart Area dialog box.

4.

Choose Color > Dark Blue, Text 2.

5. Click Close. Return to the format options list

Changing the gridline color

1. 2.

Click on the Layout tab. Choose Gridlines > Primary Horizontal Gridlines > More Primary Horizontal Gridlines Options to bring up the Format Major Gridlines dialog box.

3.

Choose Line Color > Solid Line and set the line color to white.

4. Click Close. Return to the format options list

Beveling the chart edge

1. 2.

Click on the chart background. Choose Shape Effects > Bevel > Divot.

Formatting the Column Chart - 3

Excel 2007 / 2010 Column Chart Ted French

Formatting the Column Chart - 3

Note: For help with these instructions, see the image example above.

Coloring the chart floor

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Click on the chart background to select it. Click on the Layout ribbon tab. Choose Chart Elements > Floor to select the floor area of the chart. Click on Format Selection to bring up the Format Floor dialog box. Choose Fill > Solid Fill to add a blue color to the floor.

6. Click Close. Return to the format options list

Hiding the vertical axis

1.

Choose Chart Elements > Vertical (Value) Axis to select the chart's vertical axis.

2. 3. 4.

Click on Format Selection to bring up the Format Axis dialog box. Choose Line Color > No Line. Click Close.

Return to the format options list

Applying 3-d rotation to the chart

1. 2. 3. 4.

Choose Chart Elements > Chart Area to select the chart. Click on Format Selection to bring up the Format Chart Area dialog box. Choose 3-D Rotation in the left hand window. In the right hand window, set the rotation to: X - 50

Y - 20 Your chart should, at this point, match the column chart shown in Step 1 of this tutorial.

Column Chart Tutorial Data

Enter the data below in the cells indicated to create the column chart covered in this tutorial.

Cell - Data A1 - Income Summary - The Cookie Shop A3 - Total Revenues: A4 - Total Expenses: A5 - Profit/Loss: B2 - 2003 B3 - 82837 B4 - 57190 B5 - 25674 C2 - 2004 C3 - 83291 C4 - 59276 C5 - 26101 D2 - 2005 D3 - 75682 D4 - 68645 D5 - 18492 Return to Step 2 of this tutorial.