ComputeThis2012 - Bar Chart

Using Microsoft Office Excel 2007, you can create a bar chart and give it a brand-new, appealing look. Much like a column chart, a bar chart is useful for comparing data points (data points: Individual values plotted in a chart and represented by bars, columns, lines, pie or doughnut slices, dots, and various other shapes called data markers. Data markers of the same color constitute a data series.) in one or more data series (data series: Related data points that are plotted in a chart. Each data series in a chart has a unique color or pattern and is represented in the chart legend. You can plot one or more data series in a chart. Pie charts have only one data series.).

Formatted clustered bar chart

After you create a bar chart, you can change the spacing between the bars. You can also use a bar chart type to simulate a Gantt chart, a horizontal bar chart that is often used in project management programs.
In this article

Learn more about plotting data in a bar chart

Bar charts illustrate comparisons among individual items.
In bar charts, categories are organized along the vertical axis and values along the horizontal axis.

Bar chart in 3-D

Consider using a bar chart when:

You have one or more data series that you want to plot.
Your data contains positive, negative, and zero (0) values.
You want to compare the data for numerous categories.
The axis labels are long.
The values that are shown are durations.

When you create a bar chart, you can choose one of the following bar chart subtypes:

Clustered bar and clustered bar in 3-D Clustered bar charts compare values across categories. In a clustered bar chart, the categories are typically organized along the vertical axis, and the values along the horizontal axis. A clustered bar in 3-D chart displays the horizontal rectangles in 3-D format; it does not display the data on three axes.

Clustered bar and clustered bar in 3-D charts

Stacked bar and stacked bar in 3-D Stacked bar charts show the relationship of individual items to the whole. A stacked bar in 3-D chart displays the horizontal rectangles in 3-D format; it does not display the data on three axes.

Stacked bar and stacked bar in 3-D charts

100% stacked bar and 100% stacked bar in 3-D This type of chart compares the percentage that each value contributes to a total across categories. A 100% stacked bar in 3-D chart displays the horizontal rectangles in 3-D format; it does not display the data on three axes.

100% stacked bar and 100% stacked bar in 3-D charts

Horizontal cylinder, cone, and pyramid These charts are available in the same clustered, stacked, and 100% stacked chart types that are provided for rectangular bar charts. They show and compare data exactly the same way. The only difference is that these chart types display cylinder, cone, and pyramid shapes instead of horizontal rectangles.

Cylinder, cone, and pyramid charts

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Create an elaborate bar chart

Formatted clustered bar chart

So, how did we create this bar chart? The following procedure will help you create a bar chart with similar results. For this chart, we used the example worksheet data. You can copy this data to your worksheet, or you can use your own data.

Copy the example worksheet data into a blank worksheet, or open the worksheet that contains the data that you want to plot into a bar chart.

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How to copy the example worksheet data

Create a blank workbook or worksheet.
Select the example in the Help topic.

Note Do not select the row or column headers.

Selecting an example from Help

Press CTRL+C.
In the worksheet, select cell A1, and press CTRL+V.

Bar Chart data.xlsx

Charts group on Excel Ribbon

Under 2-D Bar, select Clustered Bar.
Click the chart area (chart area: The entire chart and all its elements.) of the chart.

This displays the Chart Tools, adding the Design, Layout, and Format tabs.

On the Design tab, in the Chart Styles group, click the chart style that you want to use.

Chart Styles on Excel Ribbon

Tip For our bar chart, we used Style 4.

In the chart, click the legend, and then press DELETE.
To reduce the size of the chart title, right-click the title, and then select the size that you want in the Size box.

Tip For our bar chart, we used 12.

To reduce the size of the axis labels, right-click the vertical (category) axis, and then select the size that you want in the Size box.

Tip For our bar chart, we used 8.

Click the plot area (plot area: In a 2-D chart, the area bounded by the axes, including all data series. In a 3-D chart, the area bounded by the axes, including the data series, category names, tick-mark labels, and axis titles.) of the chart, or select it from a list of chart elements (Layout tab, Current Selection group, Chart Elementsbox).
On the Format tab, in the Shape Styles group, click the More button

Button image

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, and then click the effect that you want to use.
Tip For our bar chart, we used the Subtle Effect - Accent 1.

Shape Styles on Excel Ribbon

Click a data point (data points: Individual values plotted in a chart and represented by bars, columns, lines, pie or doughnut slices, dots, and various other shapes called data markers. Data markers of the same color constitute a data series.) to select all of the bars, or select the data series (data series: Related data points that are plotted in a chart. Each data series in a chart has a unique color or pattern and is represented in the chart legend. You can plot one or more data series in a chart. Pie charts have only one data series.) from a list of chart elements (Layout tab, Current Selection group, Chart Elementsbox).
On the Format tab, in the Shape Styles group, click the More button

Button image

|| Button image ||

, and then click the effect that you want to use.
Tip For our bar chart, we used the Subtle Effect - Accent 2.

On the Format tab, in the Shape Styles group, click Shape Effects.
Click Glow, and then under Glow Variations, click the glow effect that you want.

Tip For our bar chart, we used the Accent color 2, 8 pt glow.

Click the chart area of the chart.
On the Format tab, in the Shape Styles group, click the More button

Button image

|| Button image ||

, and then click the effect that you want to use.
Tip For our bar chart, we used the Colored Outline - Accent 1.

To change the size of the chart, on the Format tab, in the Size group, select the shape size that you want in the Shape Height box, and then press ENTER.

Tip For our bar chart, we used 4".

Size group on Excel Ribbon

If you want to use theme colors that are different from the default theme that is applied to your workbook, do the following:
On the Page Layout tab, in the Themes group, click Themes.

Themes group on Excel Ribbon

Under Built-in, click the theme that you want to use.

Tip For our bar chart, we used the Solstice theme.

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Change the spacing between the bars

You can enlarge or reduce the space between the bars in a bar chart. In a 2-D bar chart, the bars can even overlap each other.

In a chart, click the data series (data series: Related data points that are plotted in a chart. Each data series in a chart has a unique color or pattern and is represented in the chart legend. You can plot one or more data series in a chart. Pie charts have only one data series.)that you want to change, or do the following to select the data series from a list of chart elements:
1. Click the chart.

This displays the Chart Tools, adding the Design, Layout, and Format tabs.

On the Format tab, in the Current Selection group, click the arrow next to the Chart Elements box, and then click the data series.

Current Selection group on Excel Ribbon

Tip You need to select only a single data series to change the spacing of all data series of the same chart type.
On the Format tab, in the Current Selection group, click Format Selection.
Under Series Options, do one of the following:

To change the overlap of bars in a 2-D bar chart, drag the slider to the percentage of series overlap that you want, or enter a percentage between -100 and 100 in the Series Overlap box.

Tip The higher the value, the greater the overlap within the category.

To change the spacing between categories of data markers in a 2-D or 3-D bar chart, drag the slider to the percentage of gap width that you want, or enter a value between 0 (zero) and 500 in the Gap Width box.

Tip The higher the value, the greater the spacing between the bars.

To change the spacing between the data series in a 3-D bar chart, enter a value between 0 and 500 in the Gap Depth box.

Tip The higher the value, the greater the distance between the bars.

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