Clean Up Your Charts

Charts are one of the most powerful tools in Excel, as they Visually Convey your data in a very quickly comprehended (if done correctly) manner.  There are several easy ways to Clean Up Your Charts, however, and your work will look much more professional if you take just 3-4 minutes to tweak your work.

Here are 4 Quick, Easy Tips to Polish Your Charts:

1.      A Legend very seldom adds any additional information to a well-constructed chart.  Right-click and Delete the Legend!

2.      Gridlines often Add Clutter more than information.  If that is so, right-click and Delete the Gridlines!

3.      Rounded Corners can add a Touch of Style to your chart.  Go to Format Chart Area, select Border Styles, and put a checkmark next to Rounded Corners.

4.      Add a little Pizazz to your charts by Formatting Your Plot Area.  A quick right-click and choice of Gradient Fill will add finesse while maintaining a professional look.

This really takes very little time, and will Separate Your Work from the mundane charts that we are all much too familiar with.  So Clean Up Your Charts - It is Time Well Spent!