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Thread ID: 66379 2006-02-20 19:03:00 Formatting Excel Charts Mike (15) Press F1
Post ID Timestamp Content User
432486 2006-02-20 19:03:00 I have created a chart in Excel (I don't use charts very often), and I want to format it slightly. It's a column chart, and I want the columns to be three different colours - all values between 0 and 20 to be one colour, 20-40 another colour, and over 40 the third colour.

Is this possible, and if so how do I do it?

Cheers,
Mike.
Mike (15)
432487 2006-02-21 02:42:00 I'd usually use export the chart and use a third party graphics program for post-work, such as Adobe Photoshop.

Just don't use image format JPEG to export it, as it's "lossy." Try a "loss-less" format such as GIF (256 color limit) or even BMP (huge, but supports 24 bits).
kingdragonfly (309)
432488 2006-02-21 03:31:00 dunno if you mean automatically change colour of box when a value is added, and i am sure its possible but i wouldnt have a clue lol.

But if you mean manually, then select either a entire column or each box individually, and then right click while inside the highlighted column or box, click on format cells then click on the Patterns Tab, and if you jsut want a colour, select one of the colours then click ok, but if you want a pattern too then theres a dropdown box next to "pattern:" so hope you work it out and good luck :)
csinclair83 (200)
432489 2006-02-21 06:02:00 What you are looking for is conditional formatting,that is, when certain conditions are fufilled in the cell you have entered, it will then impose formatting according to preset values you have already, erm, formatted. Check for conditional formatting in the help section.

It's okay to use, albeit a bit difficult to use at first, but great once you get it to work! :)

If you are having problems, post in this thread again and I'll see if I can help (no guarantees though- as I said, it's a bit difficult! :D )
Sick Puppy (6959)
432490 2006-02-21 06:31:00 I'd usually use export the chart and use a third party graphics program for post-work, such as Adobe Photoshop.Thanks for the suggestion, but is not practical at all, as it is not live, and when there are several thousand of rows this method would take forever to do :)

Mike.
Mike (15)
432491 2006-02-21 06:32:00 dunno if you mean automatically change colour of box when a value is added, and i am sure its possible but i wouldnt have a clue lol.Yes, I mean automatically format it. So if a value increases or decreases into a certain range, it'd display in the colour assigned to that range.

Mike.
Mike (15)
432492 2006-02-21 06:34:00 What you are looking for is conditional formatting,that is, when certain conditions are fufilled in the cell you have entered, it will then impose formatting according to preset values you have already, erm, formatted. Check for conditional formatting in the help section.

It's okay to use, albeit a bit difficult to use at first, but great once you get it to work! :)

If you are having problems, post in this thread again and I'll see if I can help (no guarantees though- as I said, it's a bit difficult! :D )Thanks, I'm looking that up now. However the help so far seems to talk about conditional formatting of cells, rather than in charts...

Mike.
Mike (15)
432493 2006-02-21 22:52:00 You won't get conditional formatting to work on a chart. If I were you, I'd send a PM to Parry and ask him to have a look. I'm 99% certain he's a member here, and a darn good Excel geek. I believe this'll require some VBA code. Dreamboat (9170)
432494 2006-02-24 23:09:00 You won't get conditional formatting to work on a chart. If I were you, I'd send a PM to Parry and ask him to have a look. I'm 99% certain he's a member here, and a darn good Excel geek. I believe this'll require some VBA code.

Hi Anne, hows things. :D

Sorry for not replying earlier Mike - havent visited the site in a while. This can actually be achieved without VBA using dummy columns. THE best site on charts is Jon Peltier's who is supurb on this topic. Take a look at this page here (peltiertech.com) and have a browse of his site. You will see loads of various techniques for making charts.

If you want a VBA specific option I am happy to help but your probably better off using non-code techniques where possible as it allows you to manage this yourself.

regards,
Graham
Parry (5696)
432495 2006-02-24 23:34:00 Take a look at this page here (peltiertech.com) That is exactly what I was wanting :) And it seems so simple now that I know how - why didn't I think of that? :D :)

Thanks heaps for that - once again Parry comes through :D

Cheers,
Mike.
Mike (15)
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