Microsoft Excel 2010 - Level 2
© Watsonia Publishing Page 161 Chart Text Formatting
CHAPTER 15 CHART TEXT FORMATTING
Text is used in charts to provide titles, units of measure, category
names and as part of legends. You can accept the default text
format that is created with a chart or apply your own formatting.
In this session you will:
gain an understanding of chart text formatting
learn how to apply font formatting and alignment settings
to chart text
learn how to use WordArt Styles on chart text
learn how to change text fill
learn how to change text outline
learn how to change text effects.
INFOCUS
WPL_E830
Microsoft Excel 2010 - Level 2
© Watsonia Publishing Page 162 Chart Text Formatting
UNDERSTANDING CHART TEXT FORMATTING
1
Charts exist to provide a graphical representation
of figures and they are great at showing trends,
volumes, proportions and distributions of figures.
However, you usually need text with the chart to
explain what the chart is about, to describe the
units that have been plotted on the chart, or to
provide a legend. This page provides examples of
text found in a chart and how it can be formatted.
Chart Text Elements
Chart text includes titles, axes text, legends, data labels, text boxes and WordArt. The following
examples apply to the line chart shown above.
The title is the main heading for the chart.
The axes provide the units of measure and category names.
The legend provides the names of the data series.
Text Formatting Options
The Font and Alignment groups on the Home tab of the Ribbon, provide a range of standard font,
font size, bold, italic, underline, font colour and text alignment controls for formatting chart text.
The WordArt group on the Chart Tools: Format tab includes the following text formatting
commands:
Text Fill settings, such as solid colour, gradient, picture and texture are used to change the
inside area of the text.
Text Outline settings control the colour, weight and pattern of the outline of the text.
Text Effects modify the text by adding shadows, reflection and glow effects. Examples of
different effects are shown on the title above.
WordArt Styles modify the text with various combinations of text fill, outline and effect.
2
3
Microsoft Excel 2010 - Level 2
© Watsonia Publishing Page 163 Chart Text Formatting
USING FONT FORMATTING AND ALIGNMENT
Try This Yourself:
Open
File
Before starting this exercise
you MUST open the file E830
Chart Text Formatting_1.xlsx...
Click on the Sales Trends
chart sheet tab to display the
chart, then click on the Sales
Trends title, to select it
Handles will appear around the
title object...
On the Home tab, click on the
drop arrow for Font and
select Cambria, then click on
the drop arrow for Font
Size and select 24 pt
Click on the legend to select it
Click on Italic , in the Font
group, to format the legend
Click on one of the months on
the horizontal axis to select
the axis
Click on Orientation , in
the Alignment group, and
select Angle
Counterclockwise
These are just some of the
formatting options you can use
For Your Reference…
To use font formatting and alignment:
1. Click on the chart element to select it
2. Click on the tool in the Font or Alignment
group on the Home tab
Handy to Know…
You can apply different formats to individual
words in the title or legend by selecting them
first, but you can’t format individual words in
an axis.
Border , which is located in the Font
group, is not available for use with chart text.
1
2
There are a series of Font and Alignment
commands on the Home tab that can be used to
format text in worksheets. The same commands
can be used to format text that appears on a
chart, either in the title, axes, legend, data labels or
anywhere else that text appears. The only
difference is that the element containing the text
must be selected before formatting can be applied.
4
6
Microsoft Excel 2010 - Level 2
© Watsonia Publishing Page 164 Chart Text Formatting
USING WORDART STYLES
Try This Yourself:
Same
File
Continue using the previous
file with this exercise, or open
the file E830 Chart Text
Formatting_2.xlsx...
Click on the Costs By Month
chart sheet tab and click on
the title
Currently, it’s plain Calibri,
18 pt, bold. You can use
WordArt Styles to jazz the
heading up a bit...
Click on the Chart Tools:
Format tab, then click on the
More button for WordArt
Styles to display the options
Some options are greyed out
because they can only be
applied to WordArt objects,
not chart text elements...
Click on Gradient Fill –
Purple, Accent 4, Reflection
(5
th
column, 4
th
row)
The text will be updated...
Click on the Home tab, then
click on the drop arrow for
Font Size and select 32 pt
For Your Reference…
To use WordArt Styles on chart text:
1. Click on the chart element
2. On the Chart Tools: Format, click on the
More button for WordArt Styles and click
on the required style
Handy to Know…
If you want to use the full capability of
WordArt for a chart title, you can delete the
title and insert WordArt in its place. Click on
WordArt in the Text group on the
Insert tab and select your preferred style.
1
2
WordArt Styles are combinations of fill colours,
outline colours and text effects that can be
applied to normal text in a chart. The title is the
most obvious textual element that you would
apply a WordArt Style to because it has
prominence on the page. The WordArt Styles for
use with chart text appear on the Chart Tools:
Format tab.
4
Microsoft Excel 2010 - Level 2
© Watsonia Publishing Page 165 Chart Text Formatting
CHANGING TEXT FILL
Try This Yourself:
Same
File
Continue using the previous
file with this exercise, or
open the file E830 Chart
Text Formatting_3.xlsx...
On the Costs By Month
chart sheet, ensure that the
title is selected and that the
Chart Tools: Format tab is
displayed
Click on the drop arrow for
Text Fill and select
Blue, Accent 1 under
Theme Colours (5
th
column,
1
st
row)
You may be able to see the
fine outline around the text
now that the colour is
different...
Click on the drop arrow for
Text Fill and point to
Gradient then select Linear
Up under Dark Variations
(2
nd
column, 3
rd
row)
For Your Reference…
To change text fill:
1. Click on the text element to select it
2. Click on the drop arrow for Text Fill
and select the required option
Handy to Know…
The Gradient settings only show the options
for the current colour. If you want to create a
gradient using a different colour as the base,
change the colour of the text first and then
apply a gradient.
1
Text Fill refers to the inside colour of letters in a
text element – the area inside the outline. You
can apply a wide range of colours to text as well
as applying a gradient, inserting a picture or
applying a texture. The main thing to remember is
to keep it reasonably simple so that the heading is
still readable after you’ve formatted it.
2
3
Microsoft Excel 2010 - Level 2
© Watsonia Publishing Page 166 Chart Text Formatting
CHANGING TEXT OUTLINE
Try This Yourself:
Same
File
Continue using the previous
file with this exercise, or open
the file E830 Chart Text
Formatting_4.xlsx...
On the Costs By Month chart
sheet, ensure that the title is
selected and that the Chart
Tools: Format tab is
displayed
Click on the drop arrow for
Text Outline , in the
WordArt Styles group, and
click on White, Background 1
under Theme Colours
(1
st
option)
This replaces the visible
outline and appears to make
the letters slightly narrower...
Click on the drop arrow for
Text Outline , point to
Weight and select 1½ pt
This makes the letters
narrower again
For Your Reference…
To change text outline:
1. Click on the text element to select it
2. On the Chart Tools: Format tab, click on
the drop arrow for Text Outline and
select the required option
Handy to Know…
You can create an outline with a gradient by
clicking on the dialog box launcher in
WordArt Styles and clicking on the Text Fill
category. Gradient line is one of the options
in this dialog box. You’ll need a reasonably
thick line to see this effect.
1
2
The text outline is a line that appears around the
outside edge of each letter or number in a text
element. Text elements, by default, have no
outline applied but WordArt Styles usually include
outline settings. Outlines can vary in colour, weight
(thickness) and pattern. For example, you could
apply a thick, dotted, red line around the letters (but
they’d probably be difficult to read).
3
Microsoft Excel 2010 - Level 2
© Watsonia Publishing Page 167 Chart Text Formatting
CHANGING TEXT EFFECTS
Try This Yourself:
Same
File
Continue using the previous
file with this exercise, or open
the file E830 Chart Text
Formatting_5.xlsx...
On the Costs By Months
chart sheet, ensure that the
title is selected and that the
Chart Tools: Format tab is
displayed
Click on Text Effects , in
the WordArt Styles group,
and point to Glow then select ,
Blue, 5 pt glow, Accent
colour 1 under Glow
Variations (1
st
column,
1
st
row)
Click on Text Effects ,
then point to Shadow and
select Offset Diagonal
Bottom Right under Outer
(1
st
column, 1
st
row)
Click on Text Effects ,
then point to Reflection and
select Tight Reflection, 4 pt
offset under Reflection
Variations (1
st
column,
2
nd
row)
Click outside the chart to
deselect the heading and see
the final result
For Your Reference…
To change text effects:
1. Click on the element to select it
2. Click on Text Effects and point to the
category of effect you want
3. Click on the effect
Handy to Know…
You can select alternative glow colours by
selecting More Glow Colours under the
Glow options menu.
The additional text effects (Bevel, 3-D
Rotation and Transform) are only available
for use with WordArt objects, as opposed to
chart text.
1
2
Standard text elements in a chart can be
modified by the application of a range of fancy
text effects. You can add shadows, reflections
and/or glow effects to the letters to create
interesting results. Some settings override others,
but you can combine glow with shadows and
reflections to create some pretty dazzling headings.
3
5
Microsoft Excel 2010 - Level 2
© Watsonia Publishing Page 168 Chart Text Formatting
NOTES:
1
4
