Excel is a versatile instrument in today's data-driven world, allowing us to present information vividly through various chart types. Stacked bar charts, in particular, offer an efficient way to showcase data and highlight trends. However, many users need help creating these insightful charts. This article will provide a clear and pictorial guideline for crafting a stacked bar chart in Excel.
Introduction
Creating professional and visually appealing charts in Excel is essential for anyone who wishes to work with numerical data. Among the various charts that Excel offers, stacked bar charts provide a unique way to compare data across multiple categories.
This step-by-step guide to creating an optimum stacked bar chart in Excel will cover everything from choosing the right data sets to formatting the chart to make it look professional and easy to understand.
By the end of this article, you will have all the tools and knowledge necessary to create visually stunning stacked bar charts that enable you to display data in a meaningful and insightful way.
What Is A Stacked Bar Chart?
A stacked bar chart displays data sets in an informative and visually appealing way. It is designed to showcase the progression of a single data point across different categories, with each category represented by a colored bar. The bars are stacked on top of one another, making it easy to compare each category's overall totals and individual contributions, such as sales figures or customer satisfaction rates, for a specific category in one chart. They are powerful data analysis and communication tools, allowing users to convey complex information in an easily digestible format.
How To Make The Stacked Bar Chart In Multiple Series
In Excel, creating a stacked bar chart with multiple series is easy.
Choose the data you wish to visualize and click "Insert" in the top menu.
Go to the "Charts" section and choose the "Stacked Bar" option from the available choices.
Activate the "Chart Tools" menu by clicking on the chart.
From the "Data" section, select "Select Data."
From there, users can add additional data series to compare by clicking "Add" and selecting the range of cells containing the new data.
It's important to note that users should ensure the categories are the same for each data set when working with multiple series. It ensures that the chart displays accurate information and allows for easy comparison.
A Stacked Bar Chart Template
For those who frequently use stacked bar charts in their work, creating a template for future use can be helpful. In Excel, users can select from various pre-made templates or create custom templates.
To create a custom template, design the chart to your liking and save it as a template by navigating to "File" and selecting "Save As." Choose the "Excel Template" file type from there and save the chart. Now, the user can access their custom stacked bar chart template anytime is needed.
How To Create A Basic Stacked Bar Chart In Excel
When it comes to visualizing data, a stacked bar chart proves to be an exceptional and powerful tool. By representing data in this format, you can effortlessly compare and analyze categories and their corresponding subcategories. In this guide, we will walk you through the process of creating a basic stacked bar chart in Excel, covering various variations like 2D, 100% 2D, 3D, and 100% 3D stacked bar charts.
#1. 2D Stacked Bar Chart
To create a 2D stacked bar chart, follow these simple steps:
1. Enter your data in a table format.
2. Select the data range and insert a bar chart.
3. Right-click on the chart, then choose the "Format Data Series" option. Afterward, click on the "Series Options" tab to proceed.
4. Check the "Stacked" box under the "Series Options" tab.
5. Customize the chart as per your requirements.
#2. 100% 2D Stacked Bar Chart
To create a 100% 2D stacked bar chart, follow these simple steps:
1. Enter your data in a table format.
2. Select the data range and insert a bar chart.
3. Right-click on the chart and select the "Change Chart Type" option.
4. Choose the "100% Stacked Bar" option in the "All Charts" menu.
5. Customize the chart as per your requirements.
#3. 3D Stacked Bar Chart
To create a 3D stacked bar chart, follow these simple steps:
1. Enter your data in a table format.
2. Select the data range and insert a bar chart.
3. Right-click on the chart, select the "Format Data Series" option, and click the "Series Options" tab.
4. Check the "3D Format" box under the "Series Options" tab.
5. Customize the chart per your requirements.
#4. 100% 3D Stacked Bar Chart
To create a 100% 3D stacked bar chart, follow these simple steps:
1. Enter your data in a table format.
2. Select the data range and insert a bar chart.
3. Right-click on the chart and select the "Change Chart Type" option.
4. Choose the "100% Stacked Bar in 3D" option in the "All Charts" menu.
5. Customize the chart as per your requirements.
#5. Stacked Bar Chart - How To Use Pivot Table To Make A Stacked Bar Chart
Suppose you don’t know how to use pivot table to make a stacked bar chart. Follow these simple steps:
Create a pivot table from your data using the "Insert PivotTable" function.
Drag the appropriate fields to the "Rows" and "Values" sections of the pivot table.
Once you've highlighted the relevant data in the pivot table, insert a stacked bar chart.
Customize the chart as per your requirements.
#6. Stacked Bar Chart - How To Show The Total Value In Stacked Bar Chart
If you want to know how to show the total value in stacked bar chart, follow these simple steps:
Right-click on the chart, and then choose the "Add Data Labels" option.
Right-click on the data labels and select "Format Data Labels."
Under the "Label Options" tab, check the box labeled "Value From Cells."
Customize the chart as per your requirements.
Stacked Bar Chart Excel Data Format
In Excel, you can format your data in various ways to create the perfect stacked bar chart that accurately portrays your data. Always ensure that you have organized your data correctly before creating the chart. You can swiftly generate a basic stacked bar chart following these user-friendly steps.
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How To Create A Stacked Bar Chart With WPS Office
WPS Office has made creating a stacked bar chart quick and easy with its user-friendly interface. Follow these simple steps to create a stacked bar chart with your data:
To begin, launch WPS Presentation and navigate to the "Insert" tab.
From the available options, click on "Chart" and then choose "Stacked Bar Chart."
This will open the chart editor, where you can input your data manually or import it from Excel.
Make your chart personalized by adding colors, labels, and formatting that match your preferences.
Save your chart; it is ready for your presentation or document.
Other Outstanding Functions of WPS Office
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Many pre-built templates exist for different office applications, including invoices, resumes, and calendars.
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Multilingual support that includes over 40 languages, making it user-friendly for users worldwide.
It also integrates with cloud services such as Dropbox, Google Drive, and OneDrive for efficient file sharing and storage.
Efficient And Practical Stacked Bar Chart Templates
WPS Office offers many efficient and practical stacked bar chart templates to make chart creation more accessible and user-friendly. These templates are customizable to meet varying data requirements and streamline the creation process, resulting in a professional-looking chart in no time. Some of the WPS Office's stacked bar chart templates include finance analysis charts, sales analysis charts, project management analysis charts, and more.
FAQs
1. How do I customize the appearance of a stacked bar chart in Excel?
Customizing the look of your stacked bar chart in Excel is simple. Double-click on the chart to open the Chart Tools tab, where you'll find various formatting options. You can change the chart type, add or remove data series, adjust colors, fonts, and text size, and more. These customizations help make your chart visually appealing and easier to read, ensuring your data is presented effectively.
2. How can I export or save my stacked bar chart from Excel?
Exporting or saving your stacked bar chart from Excel is also easy. First, select the chart, then click on the File tab and choose Save As. You can save the chart as an image file like PNG or JPEG, which you can use in other applications like PowerPoint or Word. You can also directly copy and paste the chart into other applications from Excel.
3. Can I update the data in a stacked bar chart automatically?
You can update the data in a stacked bar chart automatically by linking it to a data source, such as a table or range. To do this, select the chart and go to the Design tab. Click the Select Data button and choose the Edit button next to the Horizontal (Category) Axis Labels. Select the range of cells containing your data, and Excel will automatically update the chart when you change the underlying data. This feature is particularly useful for handling large data sets or frequently updating your data.
To Wrap Up
Excel is a powerful tool for data analysis and visualization, and one of its most useful chart types is the stacked bar chart. With this chart, you can compare the relative sizes of different groups within a data set while also showing the total size of the data set. However, creating a stacked bar chart in Excel can be intimidating for those unfamiliar with Excel's charting tools. That's where WPS Office comes in with a step-by-step guide.
It will walk you through creating a stacked bar chart in Excel from start to finish, including formatting and customizing your chart to suit your needs. Whether you need to create a presentation or analyze your data more effectively, this guide will help you get the most out of Excel's powerful charting capabilities.
