Last week in the Chandoo.org Forums, I was asked could I reproduce the chart below in Excel
Which I did.
This post will describe how to tackle this chart step by step.
You can follow along using some sample data: Download Sample File
Data
To produce this chart we are going to use an Excel Stacked Bar chart with two series of data
The first Series will be for the Colored Bars
The second series is for the Arrow and the gap to the left of the arrow
The data required is shown in the above table
The Arrow Value is an input and is the value the Arrow will point to
The data is the values for the colored bars
The Arrow is two calculations that setup the Arrow, the 58 is the offset from zero to the left side of the arrow
The 4 is the width of the arrow. That is the arrow will point to 60 = 58 + 4 /2
The Cumulative Data is required for the Legend
Chart
In Excel 2016
Select the range C3:G4 and goto Insert Chart
Select Bar, Stacked Bar
In Excel 2010
Select the range C3:G4 and goto Insert Chart
Select Bar, Stacked Bar
Now with the Chart selected goto the Chart Tools, Design Tab
Click on the Switch Row/Column Tab
Excel All Versions
You should now have a chart like:
Bar 1 is the data and Bar 2 will become the arrow
We don’t need the Charts Title, Legend, Grid Lines or Axis, so select each and press Delete
Next we will add an arrow
The Arrow will be placed as a Fill in the Upper Orange Bar
Select a Blank Cell eg: I3
Then goto the Insert, Shapes Menu and select an Isosceles Triangle
Fill the Arrow with what ever color you want and drag the Handle down so that the arrow points down
To insert the arrow, select the Arrow and press Copy (Ctrl+C)
Now select the Chart and click on the Upper Orange Bar, click on it again until it is the only Bar with Handles Showing, the press Paste (Ctrl+V)
Now select the Upper Blue Bar and set its fill and outline to None
Right Click on any Bar and select Format Data Series
Set the Series Overlap to 100% and set the Gap Width to 0%
Now click on the chart, just above the Blue Bar
When the Resize Handles appear, drag them to resize the chart so that the gap between the Top and Bottom Bars is none
We can now add the labels
Select the Orange Bar and then Select it again until it is the only Bar with Handles
Right Click on it and Add Data Label
Now click on the new Data Label and click on it again until the Handles change as shown below
Now in the Formula Bar enter =Chandoo.org!$C$5 and apply
Right click on the Data Label and select Format Data Labels
Set the Label Position to Inside Base
Now repeat for each of the other Bars
and Finally add a Label to the arrow linking it to cell C2. You have to manually drag the Label to above the arrow.
Conclusion
Now that you know how to make a Bar Chart with Indicator Arrow, it should take you less than a minute to copy the bar chart, convert it to a Column chart and reformat it to a Column Chart with arrow as shown below
I hope you enjoyed the above tutorial
22 Responses to “Stacked Bar and Indicator Arrow Chart – Tutorial”
Thanks Hui, this is very helpful - and interesting.
I opened this post thinking, "Hmmm, I wonder how he's going to do the indicator icon"... and I had a technique or two in mind. THIS was not one of them! I had no idea images could be pasted into chart data. SO COOL! I've been Excelling pretty hard for about ten years now and I've somehow missed this trick. Thank you!!
Smartly done, Hui. I can see many use cases for this type of visualization. Thanks for sharing. Best wishes.
I think like you, this is a really smart way to do this indicator. I follow your work too. Thanks for sharing both of you.
Thank you for following indzara's Excel templates as well. Best wishes.
Great Idea! Useful in Dashboards.
Chart
Select the range C3:G4 and goto Insert Chart
Select Bar, Stacked Bar
When I follow your instructions I do not get anything close to what is displayed. I get each value in row C displayed by itself. It is like the stacked is not working.
David
@David
I have migrated to primarily using Excel 2016 as my main Excel version.
What you have found is a difference between Excel 2016 and an earlier Version, I will assume you are using Excel 2010
Once you have got your chart as you described
With the Chart selected goto the Chart Tools, Design Tab
Click on the Switch Row/Column Tab
You should now be able to continue on.
I have added an extra section in the post for 2016 and 2010 versions of Excel
Thanx
Hui...
Hui
Thanks. Yes I am using 2010 and will execute your suggestion. Thanks for your help.
David
Very nice!! 🙂
Hi,
I'm using Microsoft Office Excel 2007.
Unable to do the below step.
"Now in the Formula Bar enter =Chandoo.org!$C$5 and apply"
Can you help me?
Sethu
@Sethu
Did you click the Label's box twice?
The handles at the corners should change shape/color (I don't have 2007 installed to test it)
Can anybody else with 2007 assist Sethu?
Hui
Got it. Thanks for your help.
Sethu
Greetings from Holly Jerusalem
From you it seems easy
Many Thanks
Dear sir, can it insert date in arrow and move it with same that is as day pass progress can indicate theoretical v/s actual.
@AShish
Yes
Simply link the Arrows Label to a cell with the appropriate Date
You may also want to read:
http://chandoo.org/wp/2016/09/15/stacked-barcolumn-chart-with-indicator-arrows-advanced/
Great - I finally get all to work, but the bar cart is about an inch wide and the same for the column chart. Distorted.
Thanks for the lesson
David
@David
You need to Select the Chart and then Select the Chart Area (The area that surrounds the Columns/Bars and is within the Whole Chart)
Then drag the Side or Top handle to resize the chart
The columns/Bars resize to suit
Please make a video for this great tip.
Thanks.
@Gabriel
The issue with Video's is that there are sections here that are slightly different for different versions of Excel.
If you follow through here step by step and read every instruction you will get the desired outcomes
Thank you for the great lesson! Very valuable!
Can you please also share the quick conversion to the column view? I tried to switch it to the Column Chart, but it didn't work. Thanks again!
@Yulia
Select the Bar Chart
Right Click on the Bar and select Change Series Chart Type
Select Column, Stacked Column
Withe the whole Chart selected Change the Horizontal Size so that it is narrow and change the Height so it is taller
On the worksheet Insert a Shape, Triangle
Format the Triangle to Point left and Fill as required
Copy the Triangle
Select the Down arrow in the Chart and Paste
Reformat the Data Labels
Enjoy