column chart

Creating a floating column chart in Excel

The

The Floating Column Chartis based upon the Column Chart!

A detailed explanation of the column chart and instructions to make it are available in my previous presentation.

http://www.slideshare.net/DakshaBhat/column-charts-57122562

Why use a floating column chart?• Floating bars can be useful to show highs, lows and spread in data.

For example, high and low temperatures over days, and the range.

Highest

Lowest

Sample floating column chart

This shows the sums spent by a student over the scholarship received.

Personal Expense for my Engineering Degree

Total Cost

Own Expense

Scholarship(not shown)

Sample floating column chartIt is also used to track the prices an equity share trades in the market over time.

Highest trade value of the day

Lowest trade of the day

Highest trade in the month

Lowest trade in the month

So how do wechange this

Tothis?

Stacked Chart

Floating Chart

The floating chart is based on the stacked column chart.

I have explained how to make a column chart and a stacked column chart in my previous presentation. Those basic instructions are not repeated here. In case you are

not familiar with these please refer to that presentation first.

Stacked Chart

Stacked Column Charthttp://www.slideshare.net/DakshaBhat/column-charts-57122562

Making the floating temperature chart

Enter the data

Make sure all the numbers are formatted in the same way and there are no extra spaces or commas in your data.

Select the data, in this case B2:H4

Go to

INSERT > CHART

Then select the stacked column chart option.

You can find the “spread” or difference by entering the high temperature and then using a formula, minus the low from the high.

Making the floating temperature chart

Double click on the Low series in the chart, here it is in blue. Ensure the entire series is selected. Once it is selected format the fill and border to none.

Making the floating temperature chart

Select the Value Axis, which is the vertical one, and increase the minimum to 15.

You can write your own Chart Title or delete it.

Delete the horizontal category axis label.

Making the floating temperature chart

Select the Series and then decrease the Gap Width to 50%. Excel keeps it at 150% by default. You may decide how broad you want your columns to be.

Now select the Series again and Format the Filland Border. I have chosen a gradient fill, from blue to orange.

I have selected No Border

Making the floating temperature chart

Add the Axis Title “Celsius” to the Vertical Axis.

Getting the degree notation in the temperature chart

In order to get the degree ( ° ) symbol in your excel sheet and in your chart you need to change the number format in your excel sheet.

Select an empty cell in in your excel sheet clicking ALT I > S will bring up the insert Symbol dialogue.

Type in 00B0 in the Character Code box, and it will go to the degree symbol in most fonts. Select it and click Insert.

Getting the degree notation in the temperature chart

Now go to the cell where you inserted the degree symbol, then select and copy the symbol. Do not copy the entire cell, only the symbol.

Select one cell in your data or the entire data, and open the format cells dialogue.

Select Custom in the Category.Scroll down to the 0

In the Type box, paste the degree symbol after the 0. Click OK

If you have selected only one cell, then copy the format to the other cells using the Format Painter

The variations are only limited by your imagination!

I will show you the data sets I used for the other three charts, and give a brief description on how they were created.

The money chart.

• This is the data that was used to make the chart. The scholarship Series was then formatted with no fill and no border.

• After selecting a good picture of coins, it was used as a Fill in the expense Series.

• The colour of the text on both Axis was changed to complement the colour of the coins.

• An appropriate picture was selected and used as a fill for the Chart Area.

The share price chart.

• This is the data that was used to make the chart. The Low Series was then formatted with no fill and no border.

• A Formatted Chart Title was added

• A blue Fill was selected for the Spread Series.

• The minimum value of the Value Axis was increased to 80.

• The colour of the text on both Axis was changed to Blue

• Axis Titles were added

• An available Excel texture was used as fill for the Chart Area.

The floating word chart. • This is the data that was used to make the chart. The second Series was then formatted with no fill and no border.

• Each of the letters were first made in Powerpoint and saved as pictures.

• After selecting each individual data point, the Fill option was selected and letters were pasted using the Picture Fill.

• The borders of the columns were formatted with a gradient line.

• A shadow was also added to the column border.

• The colour of the text on both Axis was changed to Blue.

This is a fun chart type to make and share! All the techniques used in this presentation are explained in detail in my earlier presentations, and therefore not repeated here.

Remember your chart type selection should enhance the understanding of your data, not confuse your audience.

There are many more creative and elaborate ways of displaying your data in charts… in my next installment…

Thanks for joining!!!

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