Enhancing a Chart

Add chart options to enhance the appearance of the chart and increase its overall effectiveness. Chart options include chart objects such as titles, legends, text annotations, and gridlines. A chart title identifies the primary purpose of the chart; adding a title for each axis also clarifies the data that you're plotting. Titles can be any length, and you can format them just like other worksheet text. A legend associates the colors and patterns in a chart with the data they represent. Legend text is derived from the data series plotted within a chart. You can rename an item within a legend by changing the text in the data series. Gridlines are horizontal and vertical lines that help the reader determine data point values in a chart. You can modify legends and gridlines at any time.

Add a Title

Select a chart to which you want to add one or more titles.

Click the Chart menu, click Chart Options, and then click the Titles tab.

Type the text you want for the title of the chart.

Type title text for the x-axis and y-axis.

If you want a second line for the x-axis or y-axis, type the title text (if available).

Click OK.

Add or Delete a Legend

Select the chart to which you want to add or delete a legend.

Click the Legend button on the Chart toolbar. You can drag the legend to move it to a new location.