Excel Charts Tips

• To create a chart with a single keystroke, select the data you want to chart and press Alt+F1. The result is an embedded chart of the default chart type. To create the chart on a chart sheet, press Alt+F11 instead of Alt+F1.
• You can use charts to summarize large sets of data in an easy-to-follow visual format.
• You're not stuck with the chart you create; if you want to change it, you can.
• If you format a lot of your charts the same way, creating a chart template can save you a lot of work in the future.
• Adding chart labels and a legend makes your chart much easier to follow.
• If your chart data represents a series of events over time (such as monthly or yearly sales), you can use trend line analysis to extrapolate future events based on the past data.
• Excel 2007 enables you to quickly create and modify common business and organizational diagrams, such as organization charts and process diagrams.
• If you want to print a chart without printing the rest of the accompanying worksheet, be sure to select the chart before you open the Print dialog box.
• Sometimes, using a mouse to select a particular chart element is tricky. You may find it easier to use the keyboard to select a chart element. When a chart is activated, press the up arrow or down arrow to cycle through all parts in the chart. When a data series is selected, press the right arrow or left arrow to select individual points in the series. Or, select the chart element by using the Chart Tools Format Chart Elements drop-down control. This control is useful for selecting chart elements, and it also displays the name of the selected element. Better yet, put this control in your Quick Access toolbar so it's always visible.
• If you have many charts of the same type to create, create and format the first chart and make a template from that chart by choosing Chart Tools Design Type Save as Template. When you create your additional charts, use Insert Charts Other Charts All Chart Types, and then choose your template from the list.
• You can delete all data series from a chart. If you do so, the chart appears empty. It retains its settings, however. Therefore, you can add a data series to an empty chart, and it again looks like a chart.
• For more control over positioning your chart, press Ctrl while you click the chart. Then use the arrow keys to move the chart 1 pixel at a time.