Creating Charts and Graphics in Microsoft Excel 2013

Contents

Key points

You can use charts to summarize large sets of data in an easy-to-follow visual format.
You’re not stuck with the chart you create; if you want to change it, you can.
If you format many of your charts the same way, creating a chart template can save you a lot of work in the future.
Adding chart labels and a legend makes your chart much easier to follow.
When you format your data properly, you can create dual-axis charts, which are compact and easy to read.
If your chart data represents a series of events over time (such as monthly or yearly sales), you can use trendline analysis to extrapolate future events based on the past data.
With sparklines, you can summarize your data in a compact space, providing valuable context for values in your worksheets.
With Excel, you can quickly create and modify common business and organizational diagrams, such as organization charts and process diagrams.
You can create and modify shapes to enhance your workbook’s visual impact.
The improved equation editing capabilities help Excel 2013 users communicate their thinking to their colleagues.