Create an Excel Chart

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div align="left" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> We’re now going to create a chart from our BBC1 Viewing figures. If you haven't yet completed the sorting tutorial, go back one page and follow along with the lesson. You'll then have a some sorted viewing figures to create a chart from.</div> <div align="left" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <br /></div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> When our chart is finished, though, it will look like this:</div> <div align="center" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <img alt="The Completed Excel 2007 Chart" border="1" height="303" src="http://www.homeandlearn.co.uk/excel2007/images/ChartPanel2DChart.gif" width="495" /></div> <div align="left" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> A little later, you'll see how to improve on this basic chart.</div> <div align="left" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <br /></div> <div align="left" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> To start making your chart, highlight the BBC1 programmes, and the viewing figures. If you have just finished the sorting section, this data should still be highlighted, and look like this:</div> <div align="center" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <img alt="The Selected Data for the Chart" border="1" height="261" src="http://www.homeandlearn.co.uk/excel2007/images/sortSelectSorted.gif" width="278" /></div> <div align="left" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> With your programmes and the viewing figures highlighted, do this:</div> <ul style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <li>From the tabs on the Excel Ribbon, click on <b>Insert</b></li> <li>Locate the <b>Charts</b> panel. It looks like this in Excel 2007:</li> </ul> <div align="center" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <img alt="The Charts panel is on the Insert menu in Excel 2007" height="109" src="http://www.homeandlearn.co.uk/excel2007/images/ChartsPanel.gif" width="322" /></div> <div align="left" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> In later versions of Excel, the Charts panel looks like this:</div> <div align="center" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <img alt="Charts panel in Excel 2013" height="90" src="http://www.homeandlearn.co.uk/excel2007/images/2013/section2/charts_panel.gif" width="251" /></div> <div align="left" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> For this first one, we'll create a Column Chart. So, in Excel 2007, click the down arrow on the <b>Column</b>item of the Chart Panel. You'll see a list of available charts to choose from. Select the first one, the chart highlighted below (2D Column):</div> <div align="center" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <img alt="Available charts in Excel 2007" border="1" height="477" src="http://www.homeandlearn.co.uk/excel2007/images/ChartPanel2D.gif" width="321" /></div> <div align="left" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The Column drop down list in later versions of Excel looks like this:</div> <div align="center" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <img alt="Column charts in Excel 2010 and 2013" height="279" src="http://www.homeandlearn.co.uk/excel2007/images/2013/section2/charts_panel_columns.gif" width="272" /></div> <div align="left" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> When you make your selection, a new chart appears on the same spreadsheet that you have open. The chart should look the same as the one at the top if this page.</div> <div align="left" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> But notice that the Excel Ribbon has changed. The design menu is selected, along with options for Chart Layouts:</div> <div align="center" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <img alt="Chart Layouts" height="110" src="http://www.homeandlearn.co.uk/excel2007/images/ChartsPanellayout.gif" width="362" /></div> <div align="left" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> In Excel 2013, you'll see these layouts on the left, in the <b>Chart Layouts</b> panel, under <b>Quick Layouts</b>:</div> <div align="center" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <img height="91" src="http://www.homeandlearn.co.uk/excel2007/images/2013/section2/chart_layouts.gif" width="116" /></div> <div align="left" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Also on the Design Ribbon, you'll see options for Chart styles:</div> <div align="center" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <img alt="Chart Styles" height="110" src="http://www.homeandlearn.co.uk/excel2007/images/ChartsPanelStyle.gif" width="584" /></div> <div align="center" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <img height="91" src="http://www.homeandlearn.co.uk/excel2007/images/2013/section2/charts_styles.gif" width="727" /></div> <div align="left" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <br /></div> <div align="left" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> You'll see how to use these later. For now, your chart may be covering your viewing figures. In the next part, we'll see how to move and resize a chart.</div> </div>

Create an Excel Chart

We’re now going to create a chart from our BBC1 Viewing figures. If you haven't yet completed the sorting tutorial, go back one page a...

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