Excel Graphs

Selecting Appropriate Excel Graphs and Charts

There are so many different types of Excel graphs that it can be very difficult to determine which type would best suit your specific requirements. There are however some simple hints and tips that you can employ to figure out exactly which types of graphs are the most suitable to convert your spreadsheet into a format that is easier to read and understand.

The most important thing that you need to understand is that Excel graphs are used to compare and analyse data. Therefore the first factor you need to consider in choosing a suitable graph format is what type of data you would like to compare. There are basically five different chart comparisons that are compatible to a number of different applications:

• Part-to-whole comparisons.
• Whole-to-whole comparisons.
• Times series graphs.
• Graph and chart correlations.
• Geographical chart comparisons.

After selecting the most suitable Excel graph category you need to select a graph or chart within that category that will best relate the comparisons and analyses you want to make. The best way to do this is to enter the information into the different chart sub-categories and then determine which is best to meet your needs. This can be a time consuming process if you are creating each chart or graph from scratch.

To make the process go much quicker rather input the data you want compared or analysed into a spreadsheet. You can then simply import the spreadsheet data into the different types of graphs that are available within the main category that you have selected. You now need to determine what you will be using the graph for to help select the one that will best reflect your data comparison or analysis.

If you are using the document to make a data comparison for your own personal use then choose a graph that is the most visually simple for you to read and understand. Excel graphs that are used in reports need to be able to reflect the data comparisons in an analytical way. Make sure that you add a legend to graphs in reports that the reader can use as a reference. All legends for all graphs in a report should be relatable so that the data makes sense in a number of different ways.

Use different colours, fonts and images in the graphs and charts to bring across your points more succinctly. Remember to make these format choices according to the type of report that you will be submitting. In other words use colours and fonts that are easy to read and make sure that the font is bold enough to understand. The whole point in using Excel graphs and charts is to make your data comparisons easy to comprehend no matter how complicated the data analysis may be.

Another commonly used function for graphs and charts is in presentations. The charts and graphs used in these applications can be very different to the ones that are suitable for reports. First the colours that you use need to be brighter to make a greater impact on the presentation audience. You also need to keep in mind that not everyone in the audience will have the same understanding of data comparisons and analyses and therefore you should keep presentation graphs as simple as possible.

It is also not recommended to use a legend in Excel graphs and charts for presentation applications. Rather fill in any explanations of what the different parts of the charts and graphs mean in relation to one another so that people do not have to continuously refer to the legend to make your presentation understandable.