Click on the insert tab, then the line chart icon. Highlight a column of numbers. This Excel tutorial explains how to create a basic line chart in Excel 2007 (with screenshots and step-by-step instructions). Educational and helpful.". Address: Otto Brandenburgs Vej 58, 3.tv, 2450 København SV, Denmark. The data used for the chart is set up as shown below: How to make this chart Select the data and insert a line chart: Choose the first option, a basic line chart: Chart as inserted: Select There are three types of Sparklines in Excel. Of all the visuals in Excel, why choose a line chart? Note that you can also select Line with Markers when you’re creating the graph to get the markers in from the beginning. Why switch the axes. Plenty of other charts show the same information, so why not use them? One last step: just let us know where should we should send it. BONUS: Download the Line Graph Exercise File to go along with this post. 4. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Different styles include a variety of chart elements. How to add a line to an existing Excel graph. In fact, in their most basic form, they only contain one thing: a line. Now we use a Line chart to see the trend in the sales for the given period. Click a line graph template. The line graph is one of the simplest graphs you can make in Excel. Select the data. Select "Line" and then choose either a 2-D or a 3-D line chart depending on your preferences. Now that you know why line charts are so useful, let’s take a look at creating them in Excel! How do I name the y and X axis in the graph? The resulting window will let you type or click-and-drag to select the data that should be included in your graph. Stacked lines like stacked columns are used to represent percentages instead of the actual values. Types of Sparkline Chart in Excel. Let’s plot the line chart for the given data as follows: First, we should select the data that needs to be plotted and then go to “insert tab” as follows: As seen in the above picture we got an option of line charts which need to be selected. By creating a Line chart in Excel, we can represent the most typical data. Yes. There are more design options in the Format tab, too. Select one of the templates from the menu and you’ll get a specific combination of elements: You can also quickly change the color palette with the Change Colors menu. Assume that we got the sales data on a quarterly basis from Q1-16 to Q3-19. Column Sparkline: The second chart is a column chart in a cell. One method is to hide the relevant rows or columns that you do not wish to show on the graph. Some text boxes should appear on the x and y axis. But it can be a very powerful tool for presenting data! Line Chart is the graphical presentation format in excel. Line charts are simple. For example, tracking your budget over the year would have the date in the left column and an expense in the right. How do I give my graph made in MS Excel a zoomed in view? But there’s a button right in the Ribbon that does that for you, too: You can also use the Move Chart button to move your chart to an existing sheet or create a new one for it: This is especially useful, because most of the time you won’t want your graph right on top of your data. Right click on the axis that you want to change and select "format axis". 4. Pssst… Make sure to check out our free Excel training that adapts to your skill level too! The chart type is set to line chart, and actual and forecast values are plotted as two data series. The area graph is available within the line graph menu. But that doesn’t mean it’s not one of the best. The Area Graph. Line charts are used to display trends over time. Here’s an example of an Excel line chart that shows the X and Y axes: The x-axis is the horizontal line where the months are named. This article has been viewed 1,389,955 times. A line graph might not seem like much—it’s only a line, after all. Some graphs are geared toward specific sets of data (e.g., percentages or money). If you have data organized in the correct way then it is the matter of a few clicks for creating the Line graph in Excel. The Line Chart. But if you've already invested quite a lot of time in designing you graph, you wouldn't want to do the same job twice. It only takes a few clicks. The y-axis is the vertical line with the numbers. Then select the type and size. Choose the Insert Line or Area Chart (from Excel 2013 onward) option from the Charts group, which is shown by an icon with a set of jagged lines, or Line (on older versions), which also has the icon displayed above it. However, there are a few cases in which you might not want to use a line graph. You can easily change this to a curved graph with nice, smooth lines for a more polished look. If multiple lines are present in my chart, how can I view one at a time? 2 . It’s easy to underestimate the humble line graph, but give credit where it’s due! A common task is to add a horizontal line to an Excel chart. Line charts and their ilk treat X values as non-numeric labels, and all series in the chart use the same X labels. Because A,B,C,D,E, and F, mean this: (A:2000->B:2001->C:2002->D:2003->E:2004->F:2005.). We can draw a vertical line on the chart manually but that's just not smart. Creating a line chart (a.k.a. In Excel, to represent data in … How to Make a Line Graph in Excel: Explained Step-by-Step, The last guide to VLOOKUP you’ll ever need, INDEX+MATCH with multiple criteria in 5 easy steps, free Excel training that adapts to your skill level. Select any color combination and your line chart will get a quick makeover: One of the most common things you’ll want to do on your line graph is add markers. You can also add individual elements in the Add Chart Element menu: In the image above, we’ve selected standard error bars. Select the source data, and add a line chart with clicking the Insert Line or Area Chart (or Line)> Line on the Insert tab. This chart shows actuals so far in a solid line with forecast numbers in a dashed line. Formatting your data for use in a line graph is very simple. Make sure your selected template doesn't have a theme before creating your graph. 2. This article has been viewed 1,389,955 times. Step 2 − Select the data. Next, we will highlight the data, Insert a line chart by going to the Insert Tab, and select Insert Line chart. Tick the 'Axis Titles' box. Use a scatter plot (XY chart) to show scientific XY data. There are other good uses for line charts, but showing a value over time is one of the best. Additional information is easy to see. We’ve published +100 Excel-tutorials on our blog. Don’t forget that. Double-click the Excel program icon, which resembles a white "X" on a green folder. You can also use this window to switch the rows and columns of your graph. In simple words, a Line graph is used to show changes over time to time. As a general rule, use a line chart if your data has non-numeric x values — for numeric x values, it is usually better to use a scatter chart. Our chart will look like this: Figure 4 – Insert chart breaks. 3. A stacked column chart or a pie chart would be better there. By using our site, you agree to our. Can axis scales be customized rather than automatic? Drag your cursor from the top … He is technology enthusiast and an English teacher. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Use the same data we’re using here to practice your skills! Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. The reason for this is that Line charts (plus Column, Area, and Bar charts) treat X values differently than XY Scatter charts. The line graph is one of the simplest graphs you can make in Excel. You will then see the Line Chart on the sheet. Open the Design tab in the Ribbon, and you’ll see a number of available styles. Add another column to the right and for each cell, just add the goal number. Data tables, grid lines, trend lines, axis labels, and more can be found in this menu. Easy to create and read . Step 1. 6. Follow the steps given below to insert a Line chart in your worksheet. The vertical axis (Y-axis) … Go to the Insert Tab and Click on the Line Chart drop down button in the Charts group and select the first option from the drop down menu. If you already have an Excel spreadsheet with data input, instead double-click the spreadsheet and skip the next two steps. Mouse over them to see a preview: Clicking any of these styles will immediately format your chart. This will give you a chart that has the secondary axis and the chart type of data on a secondary axis is a line chart. We won’t go over them here, because they’re self-explanatory. How can I add a line to represent my target or goal? This opens a window with all the axis options available to you. If I have a data point that would be way off the graph, how can I insert an axis break to still show the point? Adding a line to an existing graph requires a few more steps, therefore in many situations it would be much faster to create a new combo chart from scratch as explained above.. 1. That’s it. Click the paint can, then click “Marker.”. The procedure for creating multiple line graph in Excel is the same as the procedure for creating a line graph in Excel, except that you will now be selecting more than one column when plotting the graph. Excel automatically calculates the standard error (or whatever is necessary for your chosen element) and inserts it into the graph. Then select the first 2-D line. Open the Marker Options group, and select Built-in. Now a bar chart is created in your worksheet as below screenshot shown. See screenshot: 2. An Excel sheet is created that keeps records of the number of students getting specific grades every year. Step 1 − Arrange the data in columns or rows on the worksheet. 3. Discover how you can improve your credit score fast. How do I plot the graph of growth percentages in MS Excel? Almost everyone is very familiar with these graphs, and that’s a big advantage over more complicated options. Jack Lloyd is a Technology Writer and Editor for wikiHow. 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