Working with Charts As Objects

Charts are only part of the PowerPoint presentation picture. After you create a chart, it needs to be integrated with the slide design and other objects on a slide.

As an object, a PowerPoint chart can be moved or sized, and you can add borders and fills to the chart. However, you cannot rotate chart objects. As you size a chart, you probably want to drag the corner sizing handles to size the chart proportionally. And if you do change the chart's size, be sure to preview the slide in Slide Show mode to make sure it looks good and is readable even from a distance.

Finally, you can add text, AutoShapes, or clip art to complete a slide (see Figure 9.22).

Figure 9.22. You can increase a chart slide's effectiveness by adding clip art, text, and other supporting objects.

The Absolute Minimum

Using data charts is a great way to present numbers visually so that viewers can more easily grasp their meaning. In this chapter, you did the following:

• You learned how to insert data charts into a PowerPoint slide.

• You found out that the Microsoft Graph program is a powerful tool for modifying data charts.

• You explored different chart types.

• You learned how to modify entire charts as well as individual chart elements.

• You learned how to combine charts with other slide objects.

In Chapter 10, "Using Diagrams and Organization Charts," you'll learn ways to visually represent textual information by using diagrams and organization charts.