Spreadsheets can contain lots of valuable information, but the impact of that information can be easily lost. Reading numbers on a screen without context takes concentration – especially if that information is complex. If you want to highlight trends, compare sets of information, or present statistics, creating a chart with your data can more easily convey this information to your audience.
Charts in Excel
Before you create the chart, populate your spreadsheet with the data you want to include.
- Click on the first cell of data and drag the mouse until all the cells to be included are highlighted. To include labels, make sure they are highlighted in the selection.
- Click Insert in the top menu
- Find the Charts group of items in the submenu and select the type of chart you want. To see more chart styles, click the arrow in the lower-right of the Charts section.
- The chart will appear and two new tabs, Chart Design and Format, will be available at the top. Use these to style and edit your chart.
If you’re using Office 365 on the web, follow the instructions above. Note that in the last step on Office 365, only Chart is available in the top menu, instead of Chart Design and Format.
Charts in Google Sheets
Again, before you create the chart, the spreadsheet must be populated with data.
- As above, select all cells that include chart data
- Select Insert in the top menu, then Chart
- In the menu on the right, use the dropdown menu to select the chart type
Use the options under the “Setup” and “Customize” tabs to edit and style your chart.
Learn More
If you’d like to learn more, Tech-Talk hosted a recorded webinar that demonstrates adding and styling charts in spreadsheets. They have also included handouts for you to download and refer to as needed.
