Adding Axis Titles

If you have chosen a preconfigured chart layout that includes axis labels, Excel supplies them for you-with default text and alignment. To edit the default (or current) text of a title, begin by selecting the title. You can replace the existing text entirely by typing in the formula bar. Or you can click to position an insertion point within the title and edit that way.

To add an axis title to a chart that doesn't already have one, select the chart, click the Layout tab, and then click Axis Titles in the Labels group. In the submenus for vertical and depth axes you'll find vertical, horizontal, and rotated alignment options. The default alignment is rotated-which means the title reads left to right when you tilt your head 90 degrees to the left. A vertical title uses stacked lettering (not ordinarily suitable for titles consisting of more than a few letters), while a horizontal title reads left to right in the conventional way but reduces the space available for the plot.