Making Charts With Excel 2003: Income & Profit

Making Charts with Excel 2003
A chart is a visual representation of data. Excel displays charts in two different ways.
They can be either embedded in the worksheet or displayed as a separate item. If you
plan on printing the chart by itself, it is best to create the chart in a separate sheet. The
embedded chart floats over the worksheet and it can be moved around and resized. If you
plan on printing the chart along with the data it uses, then embedding the chart in the
worksheet is the best option. When a chart or a chart sheet is active in the Excel
workbook, the Chart menu replaces the Data menu in Excel.
Parts of a chart:
A chart has a horizontal axis, the category axis. This axis represents the category for
each data point.
The vertical axis is the value axis. It displays the values in major unit increments. In
some cases data points with different value scales need to be plotted. In this case, one can
create a chart with two value axes, one on the left and one on the right. Example:
Income & Profit
Income
Profit Margin
12.0%
10.0%
8.0%
6.0%
4.0%
2.0%
0.0%
200000
150000
100000
50000
0
Jan
Feb Mar
Income
Profit Margin
Apr May Jun
Months
Creating a chart:
Enter the following data to your worksheet to create a chart:
Region1
Region2
Jan
1,843
983
Feb
2,283
1,092
Mar 2,184
1,143
a. To create a chart with one key stroke, select the data range and press F11. Excel
creates a chart and places it in a chart sheet.
b. To create a chart with a mouse click, first activate the chart tool bar by selecting
View>Toolbars>Chart from the menu bar (the Chart menu can float anywhere in
the menu bar.)
Then select the data range and click on the chart icon in the tool bar. Excel inserts the
chart in the current worksheet.
c. to create a chart by using the chart wizard, click on the chart icon in the toolbar:
The chart toolbar:
4 5
1. Chart objects: When a chart is activated, chart elements are displayed in the
dropdown box:
2. Format selected object
3. Select chart type
4. Legend (toggles legend display)
5. Data table (toggles data table display)
6. By row (displays data by rows)
7. By column (displays data by columns)
8. Angles selected text clockwise or
counterclockwise
Chart Wizard:
The chart wizard prompts you for various settings in creating your charts.
The first step in creating a chart with the chart wizard is to select the chart type.
Excel provides a wide range of chart types from which to choose. These types are both in
the Standard and the Custom tabs.
Second step in the chart wizard is the

verification of data, changing data
orientation (rows or columns) and
specifying category and series data (Series
tab.)
Step three of the chart wizard helps you

specify:
Titles
Axes
Gridlines
Legend
Labels
Table
The fourth and final step in the chart

wizard helps you with chart placement,
either embedded or as a separate chart
sheet.
Modifying a chart:
Moving & resizing: if your chart is embedded, you can move and resize it as if it is any
image by dragging it or by pulling on the handles.
Changing the chart type: choose Chart>Chart type from the menu bar to select a new
chart type:
Deleting a chart: Activate an embedded chart by clicking on it and push the delete key.
To delete a chart sheet, right click on its sheet tab and choose delete from the menu.
Printing charts: To print an embedded chart, simply choose File>Print from the menu
bar and print as you would the worksheet. (Be sure to preview the print before actually
printing it.) To print a chart sheet, select File>Page Setup and select the options you need
and preview before printing.
Practice with data:

1. Create a column chart with the data points below
a. Practice with different chart types to decide which type best suits the data
b. Practice with editing parts of the chart area:
i. Chart border and chart area background
ii. Chart background
iii. Column colors
iv. Legend placement
v. Titles, placement and fonts
Joe's TV Hut
Sold
Number
150
100
50
Quarter
4t
h
3r
d
DVD Players
2n
d
1s
t
VCRs
Advanced Topics:
Adding a Secondary Axis
In the example on page 1, the Income & Profit chart includes two value axes. The one on
the left contains the Income values and ranges from 0 to 200,000 where as the one on the
right contains the profit margin values and ranges from 0-12%. To create a chart with
data with different value ranges, a secondary value axis is necessary.
Select custom chart type in the chart wizard
(or through the
chart toolbar)
Month
Profit
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Income
150000
180000
135000
151000
185000
152000
Margin
8.0%
11.0%
8.2%
8.1%
11.0%
8.3%
Displaying a data table in the chart

Sometimes, you may want to display your data inside your
chart. To activate the chart menu, click on your chart then
select Chart>Chart Options. Then Select the Data Table Tab.
Creating Picture Charts:

Consider the data:
Student Training
Attendance
# of
Week
Students
1
5
2
6
3
4
4
10
5
5
or
# of Students
# of Students
12
10
12
8
10
# of Students
8
# of
Students
2
0
1
0
1
As the saying goes a picture is worth a thousand words. Sometimes charts look better if
graphics are incorporated into the chart rather than plain bars. Think USA Today way of
presenting statistical information. The charts above were produced by inserting a clipart
into the chart on the left and formatting an autoshape for the chart on the right.
Select the data series by double clicking in your chart (data series) then choose
Format>Selected data series to access the Format Data Series dialog box. Select fill
effects; click the Picture tab to insert a picture. You can also copy a graphic image to the
Clipboard. Then, select the chart column and choose Edit>Paste.
Creating a Thermometer chart:

A thermometer chart uses only one
data point.
1. Make sure there is a blank row
before your data point
2. Select your data point and click
on the chart wizard
3. Create a column chart
4. Select the X axis by clicking on
it and press delete
5. Remove the legend
6. Add data labels (value option)
7. Set the gap width to 0 by right
clicking on the column to choose:
Format Data Series>Options>Gap
Width
8. Double click the value (Y) axis
and in the resulting dialog box
select Scale. Set Minimum to 0 and
Maximum to 1.
9. Make additional formatting
changes as you see fit.
Adding Pictures and Drawings to your Worksheets

Autoshapes:
Autoshapes can add color and drama to your worksheets as
well as highlighting an important point. To add an autoshape
to your worksheet simply click on the autoshape tool bar:
Call out box with text
Block arrow with fill color and

overlapping textbox
Stars & Banners autoshape with 3D effect
Other graphical Elements:

To insert a clipart, Word Art or any other graphical element into your worksheet choose
Insert>Picture in the menu bar. Examples include:
Word Art
Clipart

Making Charts With Excel 2003: Income & Profit

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What are the different ways to create a chart in Excel?

What are the different parts of a chart?

Making Charts with Excel 2003

Apr May Jun

The chart toolbar:

Second step in the chart wizard is the

Step three of the chart wizard helps you

The fourth and final step in the chart

Practice with data:

Displaying a data table in the chart

Creating Picture Charts:

Creating a Thermometer chart:

Adding Pictures and Drawings to your Worksheets

Call out box with text

Block arrow with fill color and

Stars & Banners autoshape with 3D effect

Other graphical Elements:

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