Excel charts don't have to be boring. There are a number of nautical chart formats and effects you can apply to turn something ordinary into something boggling. One of these effects is a gradient make full. Using this effect, a information point or a data series becomes interesting, and in the correct circumstances, even playful — in just 10 steps.

Note: This article is likewise available equally a PDF download.

ane: Create the chart

You can utilise any bar or column chart you like, but this article uses a simple graph (Figure A) that rates adult preference for sherbet. To create the chart, select A1:D2, click the Chart Wizard on the Standard toolbar, and then click Finish.

Figure A

You demand a cavalcade or bar chart.

2: Select a data point

Side by side, select a unmarried data point; information technology doesn't matter which one. The difficult part is selecting just one. When yous click whatsoever data point, Excel selects the full series. You tin can tell by the small selection handles that appear in the center of each cavalcade. That's non what you want. Click the data point's border and Excel will display selection handles around the border, as shown in Figure B (the vanilla data bespeak). That's what you desire.

Figure B

Click a border to select a single data point.

iii: Launch the format

To format the information point, right-click it and choose Format Information Betoken from the resulting context menu, shown in Figure C. Click the Patterns tab, if necessary; it's the default. The resulting dialog box, shown in Figure D, offers many format options, but this technique relies on Fill Effects.

Figure C

Launch the Format Information Betoken dialog box.

Figure D

The way to a slope make full is through the Patterns tab.

4: Experiment with fill effects

Click the Make full Effects button at the bottom of the Surface area section to display the Fill Effects dialog box. In that location's a lot to offer:

  • The Colors section lets you choose ane or two colors or a predefined fix of colors. You tin too choose the strength of your color choice(southward).
  • In the Shading Styles section, you can choose from several design effects.
  • The Transparency options let you create meet-through effects. (Nosotros won't use this option.)

The cardinal is to experiment with the different colors, shades, and effects. With simply a little do, you'll exist comfortable with this feature.

v: Choose a color

The selected data point represents lime sherbet, so choosing green makes sense. From the Colors department, click Ane Colour. From the Color 1 drop-down list, cull light light-green, as shown in Figure E. Then, slide the Nighttime/Low-cal bar toward the light end. Don't become all the style, but every bit you lot slide to the right, watch the sample (bottom right). Figure F shows the saturation at about 75 to 80 percent light.

Figure E

Choose calorie-free green to represent lime sherbet.

Figure F

The lighter end works best for this result.

6: Choose an outcome

With the color and lightness set, cull an effect. In that location are several, merely keep the source in mind. You're filling a unmarried data point on a chart and this item data point is small-scale. Therefore, a horizontal make full probably won't be all that effective. Once more, experimentation is the key. For now, click the From Eye option and cull the Variant on the right, as shown in Effigy M. Check out the sample; you don't have to return to the chart to see the effect. Click OK twice to return to the chart shown in Effigy H. Notice that the legend matches the data point — Excel is so clever!

Figure G

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Choose a design effect.

Figure H

The lime data point will definitely attract attending.

7: Format orange

Now that you lot know the basics, apply what you've learned to format the orange data point equally follows:

  1. Select and right-click the orange data point.
  2. Cull Format Data Betoken.
  3. Click the Patterns tab.
  4. Click the Make full Effects button.
  5. Choose Two Colors.
  6. Select Orange from Color 1's drop-down listing and Ivory from the Color ii drop-down list.
  7. Choose Vertical from the Shading Styles section and select the bottom-left variant, as shown in Effigy I.
  8. Click OK twice to return to the chart, shown in Figure J.

Figure I

This time, choose a different variant with two colors.

Figure J

This variation looks like a sherbet dream-sickle.

8: Format pineapple

Now you're gear up to format the pineapple information signal. To do so, repeat items 1 through v in the previous step. Then, keep every bit follows:

  1. Subsequently clicking 2 Colors, choose Ivory from the Color i drop-downwards list.
  2. Excel volition probably choose white for Color 2, only if not, cull white.
  3. From the Shading Styles, choose Horizontal.
  4. Click the acme-left variant.
  5. Click OK twice to return to the chart, shown in Effigy K.

Figure K

A horizontal fill works well in a alpine information point.

9: Endeavor a preset

You might think you're done, but there's more to offer. Specifically, you might want to utilize a preset option (in the Color section). There's an orange preset that'due south interesting:

  1. Repeat items 1 through 4 in step 7.
  2. In the Color section, click Preset.
  3. From the Preset Colors drop-down listing, cull Wheat.
  4. In the Shading Styles department, select the Vertical option and click the bottom-left variant.
  5. Click OK twice to return to the chart, shown in Figure L.

Effigy L

The preset options offer even more variety!

10: Try one last fox

There's still one terminal trick: to apply the aforementioned gradient background beyond the entire series. The method is basically the aforementioned; where you get-go is the simply deviation. Instead of selecting just one data betoken, select them all. Remember, you want all 3 data points to brandish a single choice handle in the heart, equally shown in Effigy M. Simply click inside any of the data points. The balance of the technique is similar:

  1. Correct-click any of the points and choose Format Data Series.
  2. Click the Patterns tab and and then click the Make full Effects button.
  3. In the Color section, cull Preset.
  4. From the Preset Colors drop-down list, cull Rainbow II.
  5. In the Shading Styles department, click Horizontal and and then click the summit-correct variant.
  6. Click OK twice to return to the nautical chart, shown in Figure N.

Figure M

Select the data series.

Figure N

Utilise an result to the data series.