Charts are diagrams that display numbers in pictorial format. Charts can help you understand the significance of numeric information more easily than viewing the same information as a list of numbers.
When you start a new chart, a sample datasheet appears. A datasheet is a table where you key the numbers and labels used to create a chart.
The Slide Layout task pane offers several Content Layouts that are suitable for charts. Text and Content Layouts also make it easy to combine a chart and body text on the same slide.
The datasheet contains rows and columns. You key each number or label in a separate cell-the rectangle formed by the intersection of a row and a column.
On the datasheet, key labels in the unnumbered row above row 1 and in the unlettered column to the left of column A.
When Microsoft Graph is closed, double-click a chart on the Slide pane if you want to edit it.
A data series is a group of data that relate to a common object or category. Often, more than one data series is displayed on a single chart.
Use the By Column button <a onClick="window.open('/olcweb/cgi/pluginpop.cgi?it=gif::::/sites/dl/free/0072254440/169722/Column.gif','popWin', 'width=NaN,height=NaN,resizable,scrollbars');" href="#"><img valign="absmiddle" height="16" width="16" border="0" src="/olcweb/styles/shared/linkicons/image.gif"> (1.0K)</a> or the By Row button <a onClick="window.open('/olcweb/cgi/pluginpop.cgi?it=gif::::/sites/dl/free/0072254440/169722/Row.gif','popWin', 'width=NaN,height=NaN,resizable,scrollbars');" href="#"><img valign="absmiddle" height="16" width="16" border="0" src="/olcweb/styles/shared/linkicons/image.gif"> (1.0K)</a> to switch how a data series is defined on a datasheet.
A wide variety of chart types and chart format options are available. The default chart type is 3-D Column Chart. Other types include bar, area, line, pie, and surface.
Use ScreenTips or the Chart Objects list box to select the part of a chart on which you want to work.
Special fill and border effects, including textures and gradient fills, can be used in charts the same way you use them for other PowerPoint objects.
Use the Format Axis dialog box to modify the scale, font, and number format of the value axis or secondary value axis. Modify the scale settings to specify the range of numbers displayed and increments between numbers.
Axis titles are an important part of charts. Careful labeling ensures that your charts will be interpreted correctly.
A legend is a box showing the colors and patterns assigned to the data series. Customize a chart's legend by changing the border, background colors, and font attributes.
Use a secondary axis when you need to plot two dissimilar types of data on the same chart. A secondary axis is available only for a 2-D chart type.
Proper formatting and labeling on a chart is important when your chart has both a primary and secondary axis.
A good way to distinguish between different data types on a single chart is to assign different chart types. For example, use columns for one type of data and lines for the other type.
A pie chart shows individual values in relation to the sum of all the values. Each value is displayed as a “slice” of the pie.
A pie chart can show only one data series. To show more than one data series, use more than one pie chart.
The plot area of a chart is the area containing the actual columns, bars, or pie slices. It can be formatted with or without a border and a fill effect.
Exploding a pie slice (dragging it out from the center of the pie) emphasizes the slice.
Excel charts can be either embedded or linked on a PowerPoint slide. An embedded chart becomes part of the presentation. A linked chart is a pointer to an external file that contains the data. Only the pointer is saved with the presentation.
Use the Recolor command on the Picture tab of the Format Object dialog box to make an embedded or linked object match the presentation color scheme.
Before linking an Excel chart on a PowerPoint slide, a good idea is to save the chart's file in the same directory where your presentation is saved.
Use the Drawing toolbar to add AutoShapes and text boxes directly onto a chart. Use text boxes wherever needed to annotate your chart.
Not all animation effects enable you to make chart elements appear one at a time. Effects that work well are Dissolve In, Split, Random Bars, Blinds, and Wipe.
