Office 2010 Made Simple

Creating, Laying Out, and Formatting a Chart

In this section, we'll look at how to create a chart from your data, lay it out with the components and arrangement you want, and apply the most useful types of formatting.

Creating a Chart Using the Chart Category Buttons

The quickest way to create a chart is by using the chart category buttons, as shown in Figure 14–4. Briefly, you select the range that contains the data, and then choose the chart type by using the controls in the Charts group on the Insert tab of the Ribbon.

TIP: You can create a chart from either a block range or from a range of separate cells. To use separate cells, select them as usual—for example, click the first, and then Ctrl+click each of the others.

Figure 14–4.