Chart templates in Excel - Step-by-Step Guide

Introduction

Chart templates let you save a chart style you like and reuse it with new data. This saves time and keeps your reports looking consistent without rebuilding charts from scratch.

When you create monthly sales charts with the same style and want to apply it quickly to new data.

When your team needs all charts to have the same colors and fonts for branding.

When you want to share a chart style with coworkers so everyone uses the same look.

When you build dashboards and want to keep chart formatting consistent across sheets.

When you often create charts and want to avoid repeating formatting steps.

Steps

Step 1: Create and format a chart with your preferred style

- Excel worksheet

A chart appears with your chosen colors, fonts, and layout

💡 Format everything you want to reuse, like titles, axis labels, and legend

Step 2: Click the chart to select it

- Excel worksheet

Chart is highlighted with sizing handles

Step 3: Go to the Chart Design tab

- Ribbon at the top of Excel

Chart Design options appear

Step 4: Click Save as Template

- Chart Design tab, in the Type group

Save Chart Template dialog opens

Step 5: Type a name for your template and click Save

- Save Chart Template dialog

Chart template is saved with .crtx extension

Step 6: To use the template, select your new data and insert any chart type

- Insert tab > Charts group

A new chart appears

Step 7: With the new chart selected, go to Chart Design tab and click Change Chart Type

- Chart Design tab

Change Chart Type dialog opens

Step 8: Click Templates on the left, select your saved template, and click OK

- Change Chart Type dialog

New chart updates to use your saved style

Before vs After

Before

A formatted sales chart with custom colors and fonts is on the sheet

After

A chart template file is saved and can be applied to new charts to copy the style

Settings Reference

Save as Template

📍 Chart Design tab > Type group

Save current chart style for reuse

Default: No default name

Change Chart Type

📍 Chart Design tab

Apply saved chart template to new chart

Default: Current chart type

Common Mistakes

Trying to apply a chart template to a chart type that is very different

Templates work best with similar chart types; applying to very different charts may cause errors or odd formatting

Use templates with the same or similar chart types, like column to column or line to line

Not selecting the chart before saving the template

Excel needs to know which chart style to save

Click the chart first to select it before saving as template

Summary

Chart templates save your chart style for easy reuse with new data.

You save templates from the Chart Design tab and apply them via Change Chart Type.

Templates keep your reports consistent and save time formatting charts.