Next time you want to make a chart to tell how your sales (defects, customer calls, page views, number of clicks, walk-ins etc.) are doing over a period of time, consider showing them in a min-max chart.
For eg. a min-max sales chart for the last 12 months tells average, minimum and maximum sales per each month. See below for an example:
Min Max Excel Chart - An Example of Monthly Sales Data
These are really easy to create and can tell more than simple sales are up story. The best part is you can make the min-max charts with ease.
1. Have your data ready
The first step of course is to have the data ready. It is not always you have the minimum, maximum sales details for a give month, so you may want to summarize the data before moving to the next step. For our example, let us revisit ACME products (trivia acme link for curious mice out there). The data looks like this:
2. Create an Area Chart
As you might have already guessed, these min-max charts are nothing but area charts in disguise.
So, select the tabular data and click on “insert > chart” and select area chart (just the simple area chart, not the stacked area chart)
3. Format the Chart to Get the Min-Max Effect
This is the last step. First you may want to adjust the data series order of the area chart to ensure that the areas are overlapped properly. See below:
To adjust the order, right click on any of the areas and select “format data series” option, then go to “series order” tab.
The only formatting necessary is filling the bottom most area with white color (the minimum part). But you can also remove the plot area background – the gray color and adjust the fonts. Also, you can adjust the colors of other 2 areas (average and maximum) and adjust the border line width of average to make it standout.
That is all, there are no further steps, so go ahead, create your own min-max chart and let the conversation begin.
Like this? Also try: Thermometer charts in Excel, Micro bar charts, Gantt charts with excel bar graphs
30 Responses to “18 Tips to Make you an Excel Formatting Pro”
For my 2 cents worth:
Less is more !
Keep styles simple and in line with the corporate requirements of your employer/client
The table formatting is really useful, but I have found two sticky points:
1. Cannot move or copy a sheet with a table in it.
2. Cannot 'table format' multiple sheets at once.
May be ways around these issues, but these are what keep me from using the table format more than I already do.
Remove gridlines in sheet
Use dotted lines as internal borders in tables
And just keep it simple - it's the substance that matters and there's already way too much eye candy out there
I write a lot of financial reports conveying complex data in a userfriendly manner. I don't use colour (as it costs 7p/sheet verses B/W at 1p/sheet). The trick is to generate a table that someone will skim over for "the story" and then can refer back to understand it. very muck like Ulrik said, keep it simple.
Some simple guidelines that I use:
(a) align headings based on data (if data is text that means left, if data is numbers that means right)
(b) do not align central numbers (unless all similar) i.e. how hard is it to read a column of numbers that contains €1.25 and €125
(c) use borders to group columns and rows, don't format every line/column but allow the data to draw your eyes along it. "White lines" are as useful as borders
(d) thin borders are better than fat borders - the fatter they are, the more they draw the eye... so use them to draw attention to key numbers (like a total) only.
(e) use units to make numbers easier to read. Generally people cannot skim numbers with more than 3 d.p or 5 significant figures. so report in millions/thousands (or the other way as in ml)
(f) avoid making text too small or too big. too small (less than 10) and people can't read it. too big (>14) and people struggle to skim over it (their eyes have to move too much)
......I don’t use colour (as it costs 7p/sheet verses B/W at 1p/sheet).....
Not necessarily..
Don't compromise on how good a sheet can be made to look on monitor. To print black and white, simply configure in page setup to print in black and white.
Like This post !!
I m always using ALT + EST, not verymuch confirtable with cell style. will try to use color schemes (new feature)
Regards
!$T!
Hi Stephen,
Do you have some non-proprietary samples you may share on drop box or Windows Live SkyDrive?
Thanks
w
Great post!
Which key ist EST from the shortcut "ALT+EST".
I am using a german keyboard layout and have never heard something about an EST key.
Thanks
Carsten
Hi Carsten...
If you are using English version of Excel, then press ALT+E then leave the alt key, E key and then press S, then press T
For German version of Excel, the keys would be different. I am not sure what they are.
it was nice MS come up with all the color schemes. However, corporate culture (or your boss) sometimes dominate or predetermine what style a spreadsheet should look like. So I hardly get a chance to use #1 to #3 shown above.
Most of the times, it is someone else who wants a certain report or analysis gets to decide how s/he wants it to look like. I see myself more like a line chef or engineer. Others get to be the architect and I'm just a builder transforming a design into a real home. I don't get much say in it unless they are asking me to build a multistoried building on a single tooth pick as foundation.
Hi Chandoo,
thank you for your reply. Now I understand. It's something like searching for the ANY Key, because some program is displaying "Press any key to continue..."
But to find the german version of this shortcut:
ALT+E calls the Edit-menue? And for what are the S and T. Just tell me the english names of the menueitems, please.
I think then I will find it.
Carsten
@Carsten
Alt+EST is
(E)dit;
paste (S)pecial;
forma(T)s
Excellent post guys!
@Carsten,
Try to know how to find the shortcuts in the excel menu bar itself.
You click Alt + any of the underline character in the menu bar, then excel will take you to that particular menu field.
Now you can find different options in the dropdown menu. And each option has the name. Each name has underline in any of the characeter. That underline character is nothing but the shortcut key to execute that option.
Like this you can find in excel all the options and their shortcut keys.
Coming to the above example..
Once you click alt + E, it will take you to the "EDIT" drop down menu. Under Edit there are so many options like cuT, Copy, Paste, paste Special, fIll.... etc., I think you can find underline under 't' in cut..'p' in paste..'s' in paste Special. You need to click the underlined character for the required options...Here the 'S' underlines for Paste Special option...
Once you click 'S' it will open paste special options box...again you will find the same underlines in each of the names...here you can find different opetions like All, Formulas, Values, formaTs...etc. 'v' is nothing but Values option. Once you click V in the key board..it will execute paste special values option.
As Summary Alt + (E)dit + paste (S)pecial + (V)alues
Now you can find the shortcuts your own. all the best.
Regards,
Saran
lostinexcel.blogspot.com
You can also customize the quick access toolbar.. Once you find the icon you regularly use, right click and then select Add to quick access toolbar and once you are done, when you press Alt key it will be highlighted 1,2,3,4 etc depending upon the sequence of the icon..
Ctrl-ES is sooooo 2003.
Ctrl+Alt+V all the way baby!!!
You can DOUBLE-CLICK Format painter button to copy the formatting multiple times. Once you are done, press ESC key.
//
Jinesh,
This is a great tip that I use multiple times daily. People are always in awe when they see this one!
Jesse
Hi,
How to apply the custom styles for cells from the sql table, by using c# program.
Thanks & Regards,
Satheesh
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Hi i want to print a page which have bottom line to print on each page end how to do that pls explain
Thanks Sir
Thanks alot
Very useful thanks
thank you too much
your tips are awesome.
How to show a table with around 20-25 columns in the dashboard in the first page itself? I mean, within the dashboard area.
Is there anyway we can add a horizontal scroll bar for the table?
@Kiran
You never add tables directly to a dashboard
You add cells that reference a table
By reference I mean it gives you the ability via Formula or VBA to scroll up/down, Left/right or re-order the data
Think of it as a window into the table
This is discussed regularly in Chandoo's dashboard samples
Have a look at the 2 links in Item 1: http://chandoo.org/wp/welcome/
I'd then suggest asking a specific question in the Chandoo.org Forums and attach a sample file for a specific answer.
love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have a table of value for a month, with no data for few dates.
I created a chart basing on above data.
In the chart I find calendar dates, even though few dates with no data are not available in the table.
How to remove the dates in the chart for those without data?