In every office Excel is the most used program, thanks to its perfect management of spreadsheets and its versatility in managing a lot of data at the same time. However, if we are novice users with this important Office program, we may find it difficult to create graphs starting from the data entered in the cells.
Just to prepare you for the possibility of having to use Excel in a professional context, let's see together how to create graphs on Excel, so you can convert any data entered in the cells into a graphic design with a sure impact.
For this guide we will use Excel 2019, but the steps can be easily replicated on all versions of Office in which there is the upper scroll bar (the so-called Ribbon Bar).
At the end of the guide we will also show you how to create charts on Calc, the free version of Excel available in the LibreOffice suite.
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1) How to create charts on Excel
Since we are talking about spreadsheets, before creating a graph we recommend inserting data inside the cells, possibly inside a table (so that the graph is as faithful as possible to it).
For the graph we can therefore simply enter the data in the various cells (respecting the order, that is, putting everything in a column or in a row) and use the system to quickly create a table.
We insert the required data in the cells of the spreadsheet, then we hold down the left mouse button to select them all, being careful not to forget even one cell outside it.
Now to create the table simply click on the Format as table button, located at the top of the Home section.
We choose the style of the table from the window that will appear and confirm the number of cells, so as to immediately see the desired table appear.
Now that the table is ready, we can create the chart: remember that the table is a surplus that helps a lot during the creation of the spreadsheet, but we can also ignore it and go directly to the creation of a chart.
To create the chart, select all the cells used so far (or the table just created), go to the Insert menu, then click on the Recommended charts button.
A new window will appear, in which we will be able to choose a style among the graphs recommended by the program itself, also based on the data already entered.
We choose the graph of our interest (or the one that most reflects the nature of the data entered) then click OK to add it to the spreadsheet.
We can also move it, enlarge it and change all the elements inside it (title, series name, coordinate values etc.), until the desired result is achieved.
2) How to add new data to existing graphs
If after the creation of the graph we need to add new data to it, we can enlarge it from the table without having to repeat all over again (here is the utility of creating the table first compared to the graph!).
Select the whole table with the left mouse button until we go to the lower right corner of the created table, release the button to select it, click again on it then scroll down to create new columns or rows, necessary for insertion of the new data.
At the end of the operation we will see the table expand to accommodate the new values; now you just have to add the data in the various columns or rows to see the graph update in real time with the new values, without having to create a new one from scratch every time!
3) Advanced chart options
And if we wanted to customize our graphic during construction ">
The second button, the central one, allows you to customize the style of the graph, so you can add the 3D effect or change the style of it on the fly without having to redo it again.
The last button, the bottom one, allows you to filter the data entered in the graph, so that you can highlight them or remove them entirely.
In any case, we can modify everything you can click inside the graph: the respective modification menu will open, so that we can apply any type of modification.
If we need other settings for the graph, just right click anywhere on the graph to access the advanced configuration menu.
4) Create charts on LibreOffice Calc
Unfortunately Office is not free, so it is not always possible to use it in the home without obtaining a user license (we can also purchase it by subscription with Office365, as a solution to save money).
If we want to create a child of calculation and a graph for free, however, we can use Calc, the spreadsheet manager included in the LibreOffice suite, which can be downloaded without limits and without having to pay any license.
Once installed on our computer, we start the Calc program and start entering the data in the various cells, exactly as seen on Excel.
After insertion, select all values with the left mouse button, then go to the Insert menu and click on the Graph item.
A sketch of the graph will immediately appear, with a wizard at the bottom where we can choose the style of the graph, how to adjust the data area and which elements of the graph to show.
We follow all the steps, then click Finish to generate our chart.
Also in this case we can move it and resize it as already seen on Excel, moving the selector on the data or using the right button on the graph, so as to access all the advanced settings of the same.
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