Modifying the Appearance of a Chart


Microsoft Office Specialist If the way a chart plots its underlying data doesn’t fit your needs, you can change the chart type. Graph provides 18 different types for presenting your data. Common chart types include the following:

  • Column charts, which are good for showing how values change over time.

  • Bar charts, which are good for showing the values of several items at a single point in time.

  • Line graphs, which are good for showing erratic changes in values change over time.

  • Pie charts, which are good for showing how parts relate to the whole.

Each type has both two-dimensional and three-dimensional variations. To change the chart type, you can use the Chart Type button’s drop-down list on Graph’s Standard toolbar, or the Chart Type dialog box that appears when you click Chart Type on Graph’s Chart menu. (You can also create a custom chart type on the Custom Types tab of this dialog box.)

In addition to changing the chart type, you can change the formatting of the chart and its component objects. You start by selecting the chart and then the object you want to modify, either by clicking the object itself or by clicking its name in the Chart Objects box on Graph’s Standard toolbar. Common chart objects include the following:

  • The chart area, which is the entire area within the frame displayed when you click a chart.

  • Axes, which consist of the x-axis (usually horizontal), which plots the categories, and the y-axis (usually vertical), which plots the values. (Three-dimensional charts also have a z-axis.)

  • The plot area, which is the rectangular area bordered by the axes.

  • Data markers, which are the bars or areas that represent values in the datasheet.

  • The data series, which is a group of related data markers.

    click to expand

Other chart objects, such as the following, help you identify and interpret the chart data:

  • Gridlines, which are lines across the plot area that make it easier to view and evaluate the data.

  • A legend, which is a key that identifies the patterns or colors assignedto the data.

  • Labels, which are text that identifies what each data series represents.

  • A data table, which is a grid attached to a chart that shows the data usedto create the chart.

You can turn these optional objects on or off in the Chart Options dialog box.

Having selected an object, you can move, size, or format it. To move a chart or chart object, you drag it to its new location. To size it, you drag a handle. To format it, you use the buttons on Graph’s Standard and Formatting toolbars or the dialog box displayed when you click the Selected command on Graph’s Format menu.

In this exercise, you will modify the appearance of a chart by changing its chart type, and then you’ll size it. Next you will change the color of the plot area and apply a pattern to a data series. You’ll hide and show gridlines, move the legend, and add labels to identify the data series. In addition, you will add a formatted data table to show the numeric values used to plot the chart.

USE the ModChart document in the practice file folder for this topic. This practice file is located in theMy Documents\Microsoft Press\Word 2003 SBS\WorkingChart\ModifyingChart folder and can alsobe accessed by clicking Start/All Programs/Microsoft Press/Word 2003 Step by Step.

OPEN

the ModChart document.

  1. Scroll down the document until you can see the chart, and double-click the chartto activate Microsoft Graph.

    Troubleshooting

    Simply clicking the chart selects it for manipulation— such as sizing or moving it—in the Word document. To activate Microsoft Graph, you have to double-click the chart.

    The chart and datasheet appear along with Graph’s toolbars and menus.

    View Datasheet

  2. On Graph’s Standard toolbar, click the View Datasheet button.

    The datasheet is now hidden.

    Chart Type

  3. On the Standard toolbar, click the down arrow to the right of the Chart Type button.

    The list of chart types appears.

    Line Chart

  4. Click the Line Chart button (the fourth button in the first column).

    The chart type changes to a line chart, which compares data using colored lines instead of columns. The image on the Chart Type button changes to reflect the type of the chart you last selected.

  5. Drag the outer right-middle handle to the right until the frame of the chart roughly aligns with the 6-inch mark on the horizontal ruler. Then drag the outer lower-middle handle down to roughly the 7 -inch mark on the vertical ruler.

    Troubleshooting

    You might have to drag the handle part way, stop to scroll further down, and then drag the handle the rest of the way.

    Now the labels for all the categories are visible, and the chart is easier to read.

    click to expand

  6. Click the plot area—the gray area of the chart—to select it.

    The Chart Objects box on Graph’s Standard toolbar displays the name of the selected object.

    Fill Color

  7. On Graph’s Standard toolbar, click the down arrow to the right of the Fill Color button, and in the fourth column of the fifth row of the color palette, click the Light Green box.

    Troubleshooting

    If you don’t see the Fill Color button on Graph’s Standard toolbar, click the Toolbar Options button at the right end of the toolbar to display hidden buttons.

    The background of the chart changes to light green.

    Chart Objects

  8. On Graph’s Standard toolbar, click the down arrow to the right of the Chart Objects box, and click Series “Week 4” in the drop-down list.

    Small black squares appear along the line for the series.

    Format Data Series

  9. On the Standard toolbar, click the Format Data Series button.

    The Format Data Series dialog box appears, showing the Patterns tab.

    Tip

    You can double-click a chart object to display its Format dialog box.

    click to expand

  10. In the Line area, click the down arrow to the right of the Color box, and in the first column of the third row of the color palette, click the Red box.

  11. Click the down arrow to the right of the Weight box, and in the drop-down list, click the heaviest weight. Then click OK.

    The Week 4 data series is now represented by a heavy red line.

    Value Axis Gridlines

  12. On Graph’s Standard toolbar, click the Value Axis Gridlines button to remove the horizontal gridlines from the chart.

  13. On the Chart menu, click Chart Options.

    The Chart Options dialog box appears, showing the Gridlines tab.

    click to expand

  14. In the Value (Y) axis area, select the Major gridlines check box to turn the gridlines back on.

  15. Click the Titles tab, and in the Chart title text box, type Customer Transactions.

  16. Click the Legend tab, select the Bottom option (which is at the top of the list of options), and then click OK.

  17. Right-click the legend, and click Format Legend on the shortcut menu, click the Font tab, change the font size to 10 points, and click OK. If necessary, adjust the size and position of the legend until it has two even, centered lines.

  18. Click the plot area, and then drag its right-middle handle to the left until it aligns with the right end of the title, creating a blank space on the right.

    Text Box

  19. On the Drawing toolbar, click the Text Box button, and move the pointer over the chart.

    Troubleshooting

    If you don’t see the Drawing toolbar, right-click one of the visible toolbars, and click Drawing in the drop-down list.

  20. Point to a spot about 1/8 inch to the right of the upper-right corner of the plot area, and drag diagonally down and to the right until the text box is the height of the plot area and the width of the available space on the right.

    click to expand

  21. Type This is the week we sent out the mailing, select the text, and change its size to 10 points (Formatting toolbar) and its color to Red (Drawing toolbar).

    Arrow

  22. On the Drawing toolbar, click the Arrow button (not the Select Objects button, and not the Arrow Style button), and drag a line from the text you just entered to the Week 4 data series (the heavy red line).

    The text draws attention to the jump in the number of evening customers and the overall increase from this week on.

  23. Right-click a blank space in the chart area, and click Format Chart Area on the shortcut menu. In the Border area of the Patterns tab of the Format Chart Area dialog box, click Automatic, and then click OK.

    Graph puts a border around the entire chart.

  24. Make any other formatting adjustments you feel are necessary, and then click outside the chart to deselect it.

    click to expand

    Save

  25. On the Standard toolbar, click the Save button to save the document.

    CLOSE

    the ModChart document.




Microsoft Office Word 2003 Step by Step
MicrosoftВ® Office Word 2003 Step by Step (Step by Step (Microsoft))
ISBN: 0735615233
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2003
Pages: 156

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