We know that column charts are excellent for presenting information. But what if some of the columns are too tall and hijacking the rest. In a previous article, we discussed few of the approaches. Today let’s learn how to build a cropped chart (broken y-axis chart) using Excel, something like this:
Looks interesting? Read on.
Tutorial to create a cropped chart in Excel
Before we begin: Is this the best chart for this data?
Cropped charts or broken Y-axis charts can be misleading and confusing. That said, in some very rare cases, you may need to use them. My suggestion is simple:
- See if you can use a regular column chart
- See if you can use a regular column chart, crop the tall columns at a certain point and fade them using gradient fills. Then apply labels to them so people know which ones are too tall to show on the chart.
- See if there is any other alternative representation for this data (may be just the numbers in a table?!?)
- If your boss / client / spouse is adamant about broken y-axis chart / cropped chart, then make one.
Step 1: Arrange your data
Let’s say we have the numbers as shown aside.
We will have to set up some extra calculations to make this chart. We need to split each column in to 2 portions.
- Below crop
- Above crop
But we can do this only for columns that are too tall. Also, we need to know 2 things:
- At what point we should crop the value – let’s call this crop
- What is the size of crop – let’s call this size
We also need to print a cropped symbol (2 zigzag or slant lines) at the location of crop, if we crop a column.
First, take a look the the calculation setup.
The formulas for 3 extra columns are:
Remember, our data starts from cell B10.
- Crop: =IF(B10>crop+size,crop,B10)
- Above: =IF(B10>crop+size,B10-crop-size,0)
- Marker: =IF(B10>crop+size,crop,NA())
Step 2: Create a stacked column chart
Select both Crop & Above columns and create a regular stacked column chart. We should get something like this:
Step 3: Add marker series as a line to the chart
Add the marker series (select all the values, copy and paste in to the chart – or use Chart > Select Data > Add option).
Marker series will be added as a stacked column by default.
Right click on it and select change series chart type option.
Change the series to line with markers.
Now, set the line properties to no line so that only markers show up.
At this stage, our cropped chart looks like this:
Step 4: Replace markers with crop symbol
Draw a crop symbol. Here is one I used:
- Draw a box. Fill it with pale white color and remove borders.
- Draw 2 horizontal lines and align them to top & bottom edges respectively.
- Select all three shapes (2 lines and one box) and group them (right click and group).
- Rotate this grouped object a bit.
Copy this object / symbol.
Select the markers on the chart. Press CTRL+V.
Excel replaces the markers with your symbol. (more: use shapes to enhance your charts)
At this stage, our chart looks like this:
Step 5: Format the chart
This is easy. Set both crop & above portions to same color. Adjust gap width between columns if necessary.
Play with both crop and size values until you get the perfect chart.
Step 6: Add labels to your chart
As you have cropped the columns, the axis is no longer relevant. We either need to replace the axis labels with two sets of values (before crop & after crop) or remove the axis & set data labels.
Setting different axis labels requires a bit more tweaking of the chart.
So, let’s go with data label route.
First remove the vertical axis. To set the labels:
- Select the bottom series of the column chart. Right click and choose data labels option.(Click here for a screenshot of this step)
- This adds default labels.
- Select the labels and press CTRL+1 to format them
- From label options pane, select “Value From Cells” as the source for labels. Note: This is available only in Excel 2013 or above. For older versions use XY Labeler add-in by Rob Bevey.
- Select the original data (in B10 cell onwards) as the source.
- Set up label properties (location, font, font size, color as you see fit)
- Done!
That is all. Your cropped chart is ready.
Download cropped chart template
Click here to download cropped chart example workbook. The workbook contains all the calculations, full chart and all intermediate steps so that you can learn more.
Awesome resources on charts
Raise above the rest with these awesome resources on charting:
- 5 Simple rules to make awesome column charts – podcast
- 6 Best charts to show progress against a goal
- Column / bar chart with lower and upper boundary
- Interactive sales chart using Excel
Struggle with charting? Excel School is for you:
If you are mystified by the Excel charts and spend way more time on them, then consider enrolling in our Excel School program. This will help you learn how to create awesome charts, interactive workbooks, complex dashboards in a structured way.
Visit Excel School to know more about this program and enroll.
24 Responses to “10 Supercool UI Improvements in Excel 2010”
The best improvement by far is the Collapse Ribbon ^ button !
Kind of a shame that some of the best improvements are actually returns to old functionality. One thing I don't like is that to get to recent files I need to do an extra click after File - apart from Save As, that's why I'm usually in the File menu. I like the sparkline options, though they are still as not fully featured as some of the free and pay options out there.
The collapse button for the ribbon menu is good news. Can you make the ribbon menus stick too?
Nine improvements, not ten. You can also select multiple objects in 2007. Click on the Find & Select item at the far right of the Home tab, and the dropdown looks remarkably like your 2010 screenshot.
@Jon.. Thank you. Dumb me, I somehow thought we couldnt select objects in Excel 2007. Just saw the "select menu" and it is there. I have corrected the post and removed the point. I have added the "you can make your own ribbons" instead. Thanks once again.
@Arti: what do you mean by make ribbons stick?
@Alex: May be it is my installation, but when I go to "File menu" I see "recent files" by default.
For example, if I am working with one of the contextual ribbon menus (Pivot tables, Drawing/Chart etc), as soon as I click away from the selected object, the menu tabs vanish. If I click on the object again immediately, then Excel will remember what I was looking at, but if I wander away and click on a Pivot, then back again on the Chart, the menus will 'appear' but not get activated, thereby causing much annoyance and additional clicking.
I want to "pin" the whole menu (not invididual commands) somehow, so that I can have the menu there for the length of the time I am working with graphics. Excel 2003 used to have the Drawing toolbar you could detach and hover while you were working, but this functionality disappeared in Excel 2007.
My thought was Excel should just allow a 'pin', similar to the Recently Opened files menu, for the Ribbon Menus as well. If I have not selected any Drawing object, the commands can be greyed out, but I want the menu as a whole to 'stick'.
@Arti... I think MS solved this problem differently. When I select a pivot and go to "design" tab Excel 2010 remembers this and automatically takes me to "design" tab when I reselect the pivot.
Apart from this you can also define your own ribbon with all the things you normally do. See the above article (I have added this after Jon's comments)
Nice feature. About time for a upgrade for MS Office
Oh... okay. That might be a start. I'd probably just copy-paste the Drawing tab haha. Thanks. I'll definitely give Excel 2010 a try.
Btw - have you considered getting into / gotten into the world of Excel as it meets SharePoint?
Actually, the replacement new thing is probably better than all the rest. One thing that the designers of the Office 2007 ignored was allowing regular users to customize their own interface. Office 2010's interface was expanded in this way to address the huge uproar.
Is there still a limit on how many things you can add to the QAT bar? (I'm too lazy to look myself.)
@Jeff.. it seems to take quite a few, but only shows one line and gives a little arrow button at the end. (summary: shucks!)
The best thing is you can edit the ribbon directly from excel, so now i can create my own bar with just the things I use regularly!
One of the annoying things in 07 for me is the Add-Ins menu bar - in 03 I could keystroke directly to menu add ins.. In 07 I needed an extra keystroke just to activate the add-in menu, then the keystrokes as normal.. Hope this marek sense..
John -
If you remember the old Excel 2003 Alt-key shortcuts, you can still use them in 2007. To get to the Add-In dialog:
Alt-T-I
Dear Arti & Chandoo
Seen your comments over some issues. Hope you are form India, gone through your comment expecting a pin to command it as a whole, great, hope if someone out of MS have read it, it may be kept in mind while the next R & D of Office Ver. 16
Just incase someone forgot CTRL+F1 will collapse the ribbon.
[...] was pleasantly surprised when I ran Microsoft Excel 2010 for first time. It felt smooth, fast, responsive and looked great on my [...]
I like the sparklines, and the ability to modify the charts
How do you get rid of the advertisment on the right hand side? If you upgrade then will it take off the ads?
Once again Microsoft has re-decorated the Office and we are NOT pleased!
The graphics object selector can be found in the Home ribbon under Find & Select, Select Objects near the bottom of the drop down. You can make it part of the Quick Access toolbar by right click over it and selecting Add to Quick Access toolbar.
The graphics "cursor" will now appear on the mini-toolbar at the top left of the window.
How to get rid of "Add-Ins" button in Backstage (File)" menu by means of XML code, i.e. to hide, to delete or to disable this button?
This button is usually situated in the Backstage menu between "Help" and "Options" buttons.
Vladimir, did you ever get an answer to your question?
I am tying to customize the ribbon UI for a file using XML, and this is precisely the piece I can't figure out. I can hide other tabs, remove items from QAT and backstage - all except the options that are showing up under add-ins in backstage. If there is an XML syntax for referencing this thing and making it invisible, I cannot find it.
Hey, nice tutorial. Please check my video tutorial on similar topic at the below link and provide your comments:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TeIFc0jYjpA