As you use Excel in your everyday lives as an employee or a freelancer, you’ll see it as a very powerful tool to record, calculate and analyze data. Communicating results from your data to others either inside or outside your group is extremely important. I firmly believe that creating some visuals based on the latest data you gathered will be a great way to share insights from the spreadsheet one has made. And with this, we have Charts to help us out. One should know first how to use and what are the different parts of a Chart.
Below are some of the terminologies used when we talk about Charts.
Chart Area
All Charts in Excel have a chart area, which encompasses all the elements in a chart. The Chart area refers to the entire chart; typical elements are the Titles, data series, legends and axes.
Chart Sheet
A Chart sheet as the name implies is a worksheet that contains one chart. When charts appear on worksheets along with other information they are embedded.
Embedded Chart
The chart is embedded as an object on the worksheet, alongside the data it is generated from. The chart can be printed as part of that sheet or as a separate item. It is best used when the data needs to be shown in the context of the worksheet data.
Data Series
A collection of related values plotted on a chart. You can always plot multiple data series in a chart.
Data Points
These are the values from cells on worksheets, displayed as bars, lines columns, pie slices or any other shapes on a chart.
Data Label
This is an extra information mostly associated with a data point. It is often used to show the actual value of a data point. Take note that data labels are not always displayed in a chart.
X & Y Axes
Most chart types have two axes: a horizontal axis or X-axis and a vertical axis or Y-axis. The X-axis is usually used for categories while a Y-axis is used for data series values.
Gridlines
It is the line across the plot area, allowing the eye to travel more easily back to the values of the axes.
Plot Area
It sits in the inside of the chart area and contains the actual chart. It only includes the graphical representation of the charts.
Legend
A legend is a visual representation of the charts data series for us to understand without any sort of confusion. This is displayed in a location outside of our grid framed by the axis.
There you have it, we have been familiarized with the different parts and terms when we talk about charts. This is a great tool to help us present our data in a more visualized manner. You’re probably in the mood to turn anything and everything into a chart by now. You can definitely modify or even resize your chart, here’s some guide on how to do it. Stay tuned for more details about charts, charts tips and tricks on my YouTube channel.
💡 Worth to know!
Don’t underestimate the right click.
Right-clicking on a chart in Excel allows you to alter pretty much any part and aspect of a chart. The right-click gives you quick and convenient access to most options for a productive and efficient workflow.
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