XL Charts

Excel lets you turn your data into a variety of charts. To create one, highlight the data and select a chart style from Insert/Chart. Old versions of Excel display a chart wizard that you follow step by step.

Highlight and Select

This chart was created by highlighting the five rows of data and selecting the 2D column chart, a very simple chart style that is commonly used.

Change the Chart

All cosmetic changes to the chart are made by right clicking the chart and selecting Format Chart Area or Select Data. As in the example above, selecting Switch Row/Column in the Select Data dialog changes the chart's orientation. To change the chart to a different type altogether, right click the chart and select Change Chart Type.

Change the Chart

All cosmetic changes to the chart are made by right clicking the chart and selecting Format Chart Area or Select Data. As in the example above, selecting Switch Row/Column in the Select Data dialog changes the chart's orientation. To change the chart to a different type altogether, right click the chart and select Change Chart Type.

Move and Resize Chart
To move a chart around the worksheet, click and drag to the new location. When the corners are dragged, the chart resizes proportionately.

Deleting a Chart
To delete a chart, right click the chart and select Cut, or click the chart and press the Delete key.