11.13: Format Charts
Learning Outcomes
- Format a chart
Here are formatting options to use on charts in PowerPoint.
-
Open a PowerPoint chart slide and click on the chart. This opens the
Chart Design
and
Format
tabs. Make sure the
Format
tab is selected for the next steps.
-
Current Selection:
On the far left of the Format tab ribbon is the Current Selection group.
- The drop-down area indicated what in the chart is currently selected. To select a different area, either click on that area or select it from the drop-down menu in this group.
-
Format Selection
button opens a
Format Chart Area
(or another menu depending on what is selected in the chart) to the right of the slide. Options to change the format of the chart are available; changing the fill, border, shadow effects, 3-D effects, rotation, etc. are available to format a chart.
- Reset to Match Style: This option returns the chart elements to their original visual style before customization. If after working on changing the style of a chart it doesn’t work, (for example, colors clash) this button allows the chart to clear chart elements and return to their starting place.
-
Insert Shapes:
If an additional shape or object needs to be added to a chart this is the group to use. For example, there are call out shapes where additional notes can be made to highlight specific information about a chart. Select the shape, insert it into the slide and move it onto the best position for the slide.
-
Shape Styles
: This group changes a shapes style, fill, outline or effects. For example, if one of the shapes in the pie chart needs to stand apart and be a different color, select it, use the drop-down menu of Shape Fill and select a new color.
-
WordArt Styles:
To format the chart title or any of the text in a chart, select the text, WordArt Styles group, then choose the style, fill, outline or text effects for the text. In this example, the chart title has been formatted with a new color and shadow effect.
- Accessibility: Used to input a text description of the slide and chart to use those who are visually impaired.
- Arrange: Multiple charts to be treated as objects and arranged (sent forward or back) with other slide objects. These options are restricted if only a portion of a chart is selected and not the entire chart.
- Size : If a chart is selected and the size group arrow clicked, the Format Data Point menu opens to the right. From this menu a section of a chart can be called out in this pie chart by increasing the Pie Explosion percentage or a chart is rotated by changing the Angle of first slice option.
Contributors and Attributions
CC licensed content, Original
- Format Charts. Authored by : Sherri Pendleton. Provided by : Lumen Learning. License : CC BY: Attribution