Buzz
In this article, Mytour will guide you through the process of creating a chart or diagram in Microsoft Excel. You can create a chart from data using either the Windows or Mac version of Excel.
Steps
Open Microsoft Excel. The application icon is a white "X" on a green background.
Click on Blank workbook. This option has an icon of a white box located in the upper left corner of the screen.
Determine the type of chart you want to create. Excel offers 3 basic types of charts, each suitable for a specific kind of data:
- Bar – A vertical column chart that displays one or more sets of data. This chart is ideal for showing data differences over time or comparing two similar data sets.
- Line – A chart that represents one or more data sets using horizontal lines. This chart is great for showing growth or decline in data over time.
- Pie – A chart that displays one or more data sets as a percentage of a whole. This chart is best for illustrating data distribution.
Give your chart a title. The title represents the name of each data set and is typically located in the first row of the spreadsheet, starting from cell B1 and extending rightward.
- For example, to create data sets named "Light Bulb Quantity" and "Electricity Bill", you would enter Light Bulb Quantity into B1 and Electricity Bill into C1
- Leave A1 empty.
Label the chart. Labels indicate the rows of data in column A (starting from cell A2). For example, data points such as dates ("Day 1", "Day 2", etc.) are commonly used as labels.
- For example, if comparing your budget to that of a friend in a bar chart, you might label each bar by week or month.
- Always add labels for each row of data.
Enter data for the chart. Start entering data just below the first title and to the right of the first label (usually in cell B2). Input the numbers you want to chart.
- You can press Tab ↹ after entering data in one cell to move to the next cell to the right when entering data across multiple cells in the same row.
Select the data. Click and drag your mouse from the top left corner of the data group (e.g., column A1) to the bottom right corner, making sure to select both the title and the labels.
Click the Insert button (Add). This button is located at the top of the Excel window. Clicking it opens the toolbar below the Insert tab.
Select the chart type. In the "Charts" section of the Insert toolbar, click on the icon representing the chart style you wish to use. A dropdown menu with several options will appear.
- A bar chart is represented by a series of vertical bars.
- A line chart shows one or more connected lines.
- A pie chart displays a circle divided into segments.
Choose the chart format. In the chart options menu, click on the version of the chart (e.g., 3D) that you prefer for your Excel document. The chart will then be generated in your file.
- You can hover over each format to preview how the chart will look with your data.
Enter a chart title. Double-click the "Chart Title" area above the chart, delete the placeholder text, and type your desired title. Then, click on an empty area of the chart to finalize it.
- On Mac, go to the Design tab > Add Chart Element > Chart Title, click to position, and type the title.
Save the document. Follow these steps:
- Windows - Click File > Save As, double-click This PC, choose a location from the left panel, enter the document name in the "File name" field, and click Save.
- Mac - Click File > Save As..., enter the document name in the "Save As" field, choose a storage location by clicking the "Where" field and selecting a folder, then click Save.
Advice
- You can change the chart's appearance in the Design tab.
- If you don't want to choose a specific chart type, you can click on Recommended Charts and select a chart from Excel's suggestions.
Warning
- Some chart formats may not display all the data properly or could distort it. You should select a format that best suits the type of data you have.
