Navigating when Making Graphs with Excel 7.0

This document is intended as a quick reference to help you navigate to the appropriate areas of the Excel program when making and editing graphs. If you have difficulty use the online help or contact your instructors.

Chart Wizard Screens - There are four chart wizard screens. Chart Type, Source Data, Chart Options, Chart Location

1. Chart Type

• Standard Types - (Column or Scatter are the types most often used)
• Custom Types - (You are unlikely to use these)

2. Source Data

• Data Range - click red arrow, block data Series in - select rows or columns
• Series - If the wizard has placed the wrong data on the x axis you can make corrections here.

Series- add or remove lines or bars
Name - enter name for highlighted series (name appears in legend)
X value or category axis label - correct x axis data range
Y value - correct y axis data range of highlighted series

3. Chart Option -By activating the appropriate tabs you can adjust aspects of the chart (Titles - Axes - Gridlines - Legend - Data Labels - Data Table)

• Titles - add labels and units for the axes
• Axes - control the range of the axis and the point where the y crosses the x
• Legend - add, delete, position legend

4. Chart Location - For ease of editing charts should be made on NEW SHEETS

Editing - This is done after exiting the chart wizard. Using a RC on a graph element provides access to pop-up menus. These will often take you back to the chart wizard. I have listed the first set of choices on a single line. Those in bold outline the path to follow to make the designated correction.

1. To Add Error Bars - RC with cursor on a data point

**Select Format Data - (Chart Type - Source - Add Trendline -Clear)

Patterns
Label
Axis
Series Order
X Error
** Y Error - Select type of error bar- Custom - type + values separated with a comma, block and copy to add negative error - OK
Options

2. To Delete Legend - RC to activate legend - delete key

3. To Format Axis - RC with cursor on axis

** Format Axis (Clear)

Patterns
** Scale - adjust data range, point where y axis crosses the x axis, axis type
Font
Number
Alignment - change orientation of axis labels

4. To add missing labels - RC with cursor on graph background

(Format Plot Area - Chart Type - Source - Chart Options - Location Clear)

Chart Options - This takes you to screen 3 of the chart wizard.

5. To resize the chart - LC in chart area - a thick line should appear on the axes, move the cursor to the point where the x axis crosses the y axis should appear, LCH and drag to resize the chart. LCH with the cursor in the center of the graph and a cross with four arrowheads should appear, drag the graph to where you want it on the page.

6. To add a caption - Activate the drawing toolbar. It appears at the screen bottom. Select the disc with writing on it - When you move the cursor to a point below and to the left of the chart you should have a crosshair. LCH and drag to create a text box. Then type your text.

• To reposition the text box - place the cursor on the thick line that surrounds the text box. LCH you should see the four arrowheaded cross, now drag the box to it's new position.
• To move the text box - place the cursor on one of the small squares in the box that surrounds the text. When the double headed arrow appears LCH and move the arrow to resize the box.

7. To preview the final graph

Print Preview -- Setup -- Header/Footer

Header/Footer - Select None to remove the automatic header and footer.