Enter the Chart Data
Note: For help with these instructions, see the image example above.
No matter what type of chart or graph you are creating, the first step in creating an Excel chart is always to enter the data into the worksheet.
When entering the data, it helps to keep a few simple rules in mind:
- Don't leave blank rows and columns when entering your data.
- If you do leave a blank row, it will make it harder to use the Excel Chart Wizard. While it is possible to include individual rows or columns, it makes creating the chart a bit trickier than if the data is all together.
- Enter you data in columns whenever possible.
- When laying out your spreadsheet, list the names describing the data in one column and, to the right of that, the data itself. If there is more than one data series, list them one after the other in columns with the title for each data series at the top.
Note: The data for this step by step tutorial and instructions for copying it into Excel are available for those who don't feel like typing it in themselves.
