Change chart axes

1. Click the chart in which you want to display or hide axes, axes labels, and tick marks.
2. On the Chart menu, click Chart Options, and then click the Axes tab.
3. Select or clear the check boxes for the axes you want to display or hide.

1. Click the chart to which you want to add a title.
2. On the Chart menu, click Chart Options, and then click the Titles tab.

3. Click in the appropriate box for each axis title you want to add (for example, to add a title to the category axis, click in the Category (X) axis box), and then type the text you want.

Tip

1. Click the axis title you want to align.
2. Click Selected Axis Title on the Format menu.
3. Click the Alignment tab.

   If you don't see the Alignment tab, click Cancel, click outside of the text you want to format, and then repeat the process.

4. Select the options you want.

Tip

If you change the number formatting in a chart, the number formatting is no longer linked to the worksheet cells.

1. Double-click the appropriate axis.
2. On the Number tab, select the options you want.

Major and minor tick marks and tick mark labels on value axis

Major tick marks and tick mark labels on category axis

1. Click the axis with the tick marks you want to change.
2. On the Format menu, click Selected Axis, and then click the Patterns tab.
3. Under Tick mark type and Tick mark labels, select the options you want.

Tip

1. Click the axis title you want to link.

2. In the formula bar, type an equal sign (=).
3. Select the worksheet cell that contains the data or text you want shown in your chart.

   You can also type the reference to the worksheet cell. Include the sheet name, followed by an exclamation point; for example:

   Sheet1!F2

4. Press ENTER.

You can reverse the plotting order of categories or values for most charts, as well as of data series for 3-D charts with a third axis. You cannot reverse the plotting order of values in a radar chart.

1. Click the axis for the categories, values, or series whose plotting order you want to change.
2. On the Format menu, click Selected Axis, and then click the Scale tab.
3. To reverse the plotting order, do one of the following:
   • For categories, select the Categories in reverse order check box.

   • For values, select the Values in reverse order check box.

   • For series in 3-D charts, select the Series in reverse order check box.

When the range of values for different data series in a 2-D chart varies widely, or when you have mixed types of data (such as price and volume), you can plot one or more data series on a secondary value (y) axis. The scale of the secondary axis reflects the values for the associated series.

1. Click the data series you want to plot along a secondary value axis.
2. On the Format menu, click Selected Data Series, and then click the Axis tab.
3. Click Secondary axis.

1. Click the value axis you want to change.
2. On the Format menu, click Selected Axis, and then click the Scale tab.
3. Do one of the following:

   Change the number at which the value axis starts and ends

   Enter a different number in the Minimum box or the Maximum box.

   Change the interval of tick marks and gridlines

   Enter a different number in the Major unit box or Minor unit box.

   Change the units displayed on the value axis

   If your chart values consist of large numbers, you can make the axis text shorter and more readable by changing the display unit of the axis. For example, if the chart values range from 1,000,000 to 50,000,000, you can display the numbers as 1 to 50 on the axis and show a label that indicates that the units express millions.

   1. In the Display units list, click the units you want or type a numeric value.
   2. To show a label that describes the units expressed, select the Show display units label on chart check box.

   Change the value axis to logarithmic

   Select the Logarithmic scale check box.

   Reverse the order of values

   To reverse values so that you can flip bars or columns or other data markers, select the Values in reverse order check box.

   Change where the category (x) axis crosses the value axis

   Do one of the following:

   To have the category (x) axis cross at a number on the value axis that you specify, enter the number in the Category X crosses at box.

   To have the x-axis cross the value axis at the highest value, select the Category (X) axis crosses at maximum value check box. When selected, the Category (X) axis crosses at maximum value check box overrides the setting in the Category X crosses at box.

Change the number of categories between labels or tick marks on the category axis

Change where the value (y) axis crosses the category (x) axis

Change the alignment and spacing of multiple-level category labels

Change chart category axis labels