Create a Custom Excel 2003 Chart

Customizing an Excel Chart or Graph

A graph in Excel is referred to as a chart.

If you have created the perfect Excel chart, complete with custom formatting, and you would like to use again and again for other charts you can save it as a custom chart type. Custom Excel Charts are available under the "Custom Types" tab of the Excel Chart Wizard Step 1.

To Create a Custom Excel Chart Type

1. Start by formatting an existing chart to your satisfaction
2. Right click on the chart and select Chart Type from the pop up menu.
3. Click on the Custom Types tab.
4. Select the User-Defined option located below the list of chart types.
5. Click the Add button.
6. Type a name and description for your chart.
7. Click OK and the chart's name appears in the list of user-defined custom chart types.

Note: A shortcoming to creating a custom chart type is that the custom chart type stores the chart title and axis titles as well as font formats. When the custom chart type is applied to another chart, the title and axis text in the custom chart type overwrites the titles in the new chart.