Objective 3.2 Insert and format charts

  • 3.2.1 Create and import charts
  • 3.2.2 Change the chart type, layout, and elements
  • 3.2.3 Format charts

3.2 Contents

3.2.1 Create and import charts

You can easily add a chart to a slide to help identify trends that might not be obvious from looking at numbers.

When you create a chart in PowerPoint, you specify the chart type and then use a linked Excel worksheet to enter the information you want to plot. As you replace the sample data in the worksheet with your own data, you immediately see the results in the chart in the adjacent PowerPoint window.

PowerPoint provides a starting point for your chart

You can enter the data directly into the linked worksheet, or you can copy and paste it from an existing Microsoft Access table, Word table, or Excel worksheet. You then identify the chart data range in the linked worksheet to ensure that only the data you want appears in the chart, and close the worksheet to plot the data.

By default, a chart is plotted based on the series of data points in the columns of the attached worksheet, and these series are identified in the legend. You can tell PowerPoint to plot the chart based on the series in the rows instead.

When a chart is active on a slide, the Design, and Format tool tabs are available on the ribbon.

  • Also on its right the Chart Elements, Chart Styles and Chart Filters buttons appear.

At any time after you plot data in the chart, you can reopen the attached worksheet and edit the data; PowerPoint updates the chart to reflect your changes.

To create a chart

  1. Do either of the following to open the Insert Chart dialog box:
    • In a content placeholder, click the Insert Chart button.
    • On the Insert tab, in the Illustrations group, click the Chart button.
  2. In the Insert Chart dialog box, click a chart category in the left pane, click a chart type in the right pane, and then click OK.
  3. In the linked Excel worksheet, enter the values to be plotted, following the pattern of the sample data.
  4. Ensure that the blue border delineating the chart data range encompasses only the data you want included in the chart, by dragging the blue handle in the lower-right corner of the range.
  5. Close the Excel window.

To insert a chart from Excel

  1. In the source workbook, click the chart border to select it.
  2. Copy the chart to the Clipboard.
  3. Switch to PowerPoint, display the slide, and then paste the chart from the Clipboard.

To open the attached worksheet so that you can edit the chart data

  • Right-click the chart, click Edit Data and then click the Edit Data or the Edit Data in Excel button.
  • Click the chart, and then on the Design tool tab, in the Data group, click the Edit Data list and then click the Edit Data or the Edit Data in Excel button..

Tip: The chart must be active (surrounded by a frame) when you make changes to the data in the worksheet; otherwise, the chart won’t automatically update.

To plot a selected chart by rows instead of columns

  1. Open the chart’s attached worksheet in Excel (Edit data in Excel).
  2. Minimize the Excel worksheet.
  3. On the Design tool tab (in PowerPoint), in the Data group, click the Switch Row/Column button. 
  4. Close the Excel worksheet.

Tip: The Switch Row/Column button is active only when the worksheet is open.

To select worksheet data for editing

  • To select a cell, click it.
  • To select a column, click the column header (the letter at the top of the column).
  • To select a row, click the row header (the number at the left end of the row).
  • To select multiple cells, columns, or rows, do either of the following:
    • Select the first element, and then hold down the Shift key as you select subsequent elements.
    • Drag through adjacent cells, columns, or rows.
  • To select an entire worksheet, click the Select All button (the triangle in the upper-left corner of the worksheet, at the intersection of the row and column headers).