Selecting a Chart Type

Your chart is what your audience sees, so make sure to take advantage of PowerPoint's chart formatting options to make the chart appealing and visually informative. You start by choosing the chart type that is suited for presenting your data. There are 18 chart types, available in 2-D and 3-D formats, and for each chart type you can choose from a variety of formats. If you want to format your chart beyond the provided formats, you can customize a chart. Save your customized settings so that you can apply that chart formatting to any chart you create.

Select a Chart Type

In Microsoft Graph, close the datasheet to view the chart, if necessary.

Click the Chart Type list arrow on the Standard toolbar.

Click the button corresponding to the chart type you want.

Apply a Standard Chart Type

Click the Chart menu, and then click Chart Type.

Click the Standard Types tab.

Click the chart type you want.

Click the chart sub-type you want. Sub-types are variations of the chart type.

Click OK.

Did You Know?

Why does the Chart Type button look different ? The image on the Chart Type button changes depending on which chart type is selected.

Apply a Custom Chart Type

Click the Chart menu, and then click Chart Type.

Click the Custom Types tab.

Click the Built-In option.

Click the chart type you want.

Click OK.

Create a Custom Chart Type

Select the chart you want to use to make a custom chart type.

Click the Chart menu, and then click Chart Type.

Click the Custom Types tab.

Click the User-Defined option.

Click Add.

Type a name and description for the chart.

Click OK.

Click OK.

Did You Know?

You can use chart options to add a title to your chart . To add a title to your chart, click the Chart menu, click Chart Options, click the Titles tab, enter a title in the Chart Title box, and then click OK.