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Chart Formatting Techniques

Many people like to change the chart colors, lines, patterns, and styles of the data series for special effects. Although Excel's default colors and patterns help to distinguish one data series from another, you might find some colors and patterns more attractive than others. For example, you might want to remove all patterns and use only color.

The vertical axis in a chart is referred to as the Value axis. Excel automatically scales the value axis for your charts to best fit the minimum and maximum values being charted. The values along the vertical (Y) or horizontal (X) axis are set with minimum and maximum values, as well as a number of intermediate points along the axis. These intermediate points are called major ...