Formatting chart appearance in Excel - Step-by-Step Guide

Introduction

Formatting chart appearance helps you make your charts look clear and attractive. It solves the problem of charts being hard to read or not matching your report style.

When you want to change the colors of bars or lines to match your company colors

When your chart labels are too small or hard to read and need bigger fonts

When you want to add or remove gridlines to make the chart easier to understand

When you want to change the chart title style to make it stand out

When you want to add data labels to show exact values on the chart

Steps

Step 1: Click

- the chart you want to format

The Chart Tools tabs (Design and Format) appear on the ribbon

Step 2: Click

- Format tab under Chart Tools

Formatting options like Shape Fill, Shape Outline, and Text Fill become available

Step 3: Select

- a chart element (like bars, lines, or title) by clicking it on the chart

The selected element is highlighted and ready for formatting

Step 4: Click

- Shape Fill or Text Fill in the Format tab

A color palette opens for you to choose a new color

💡 Use your company colors for consistency

Step 5: Click

- Chart Elements button (plus icon) next to the chart

A menu appears where you can add or remove elements like Data Labels, Gridlines, or Legend

Step 6: Click

- Data Labels checkbox in the Chart Elements menu

Numbers appear on each data point showing exact values

Step 7: Right-click

- a chart element like the title or axis labels

A menu appears with Format options for font size, style, and color

Before vs After

Before

A chart with default blue bars, small black title, no data labels, and gridlines visible

After

The same chart with green bars, larger red title, data labels showing values on bars, and gridlines removed

Settings Reference

Shape Fill

📍 Format tab under Chart Tools

Change the fill color of chart elements like bars or pie slices

Default: Theme Colors

Data Labels

📍 Chart Elements button (plus icon) next to the chart

Show or hide exact values on data points

Default: None

Gridlines

📍 Chart Elements button (plus icon) next to the chart

Show or hide gridlines to help read values

Default: Primary Major Horizontal

Font Size and Color

📍 Right-click a chart element → Format [Element]

Change the text appearance of titles, labels, and legends

Default: 11 pt, Automatic color

Common Mistakes

Trying to format the chart without selecting a specific chart element first

Formatting options apply only to the selected element, so changes won't happen if nothing is selected

Click the chart element you want to change before applying formatting

Adding too many colors or effects making the chart look messy

Too many colors or styles can confuse the reader and reduce clarity

Use simple, consistent colors and styles that match your report

Summary

Formatting chart appearance makes your charts clearer and more attractive.

You can change colors, fonts, add data labels, and adjust gridlines easily.

Always select the chart element before formatting to apply changes correctly.