# Charts in Excel: from raw data to a figure your lecturer gets

> Charts in Excel for students: Recommended Charts, when to use column, line, pie or scatter, and trendlines for lab data, ready for papers and slides.
>
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![Charts in Excel: from raw data to a figure your lecturer gets](https://tiswa.app/assets/blog/excel-charts/excel-charts-cover-en.webp)

## Create a chart in under a minute

1. **Arrange the data**: Put categories in one column (course names or months, say) and values in the next, with a header row on top.
2. **Select the data**: Select the headers and the values together.
3. **Open Recommended Charts**: Go to Insert, Recommended Charts. Excel shows suggested types for your data with a preview of each.
4. **Choose and confirm**: Pick the one closest to what you want to say, then OK.
5. **Adjust the look**: On the Chart Design tab, try the quick layouts and chart styles, which are ready sets of matching colours and effects.

![5-step flow: Arrange the data / Select the data / Open Recommended Charts / Choose and confirm / Adjust the look](https://tiswa.app/assets/blog/excel-charts/excel-charts-inline-1-en.webp)


> **Tip**: According to Microsoft, pressing ALT + F1 creates a chart from the selected data immediately, but it may not be the best fit. Use it for a quick preview, then change the type if needed.

## Which type fits your data?

These are the main chart types as Microsoft describes them, with university examples:

| Type | When to use it, per Microsoft | Student example |
|---|---|---|
| Column | Comparing categories. Stacked shows totals; 100% stacked shows each part's contribution to the whole | Average marks across five courses |
| Line | Trends over evenly spaced intervals such as months or quarters; works well with several series | Your semester GPA across years |
| Pie | Parts of a whole for one series, no negative values, no more than about seven categories | How a month's spending splits by category |
| Doughnut | Parts of a whole with several series, but harder to read than stacked columns | Rarely needed; prefer stacked columns |
| Bar | Comparing individual items, especially with long labels | College names in survey results |
| Area | Change over time and the contribution of parts to a total | Study hours per course across weeks |
| Scatter | The relationship between two numeric values; for scientific, statistical and engineering data | Concentration vs absorbance in a lab |
| Radar | Comparing aggregate values of several series around a centre point | Rating skills in a group project |

![Comparison card of the guide table](https://tiswa.app/assets/blog/excel-charts/excel-charts-inline-2-en.webp)


A quick rule: if your question is "which is bigger?", use column or bar. If it is "how did it change?", use line. If it is "what share is each part?" and you have few categories, use pie; otherwise 100% stacked columns. If it is "are these two variables related?", use scatter.

## Chart elements: what should show

Microsoft lists the common chart elements as the chart title, axis titles and labels, the legend, gridlines, tick marks and the plot area. You can show, hide, move or reformat any of them.

- The title should state the finding, not the data name. "Satisfaction peaks in fourth year" says more than "Average satisfaction".
- Axis titles are essential in lab work: always include the unit, such as time (s) or concentration (mol/L).
- Remove the legend when there is only one series; it adds nothing.
- Lighten or remove gridlines if they pull attention away from the data.

## Trendlines for lab results

If you have readings from an experiment and want to show the overall relationship, add a trendline.

1. **Draw a scatter chart**: Select the two value columns, then Insert and choose a Scatter chart.
2. **Add the line**: Select the chart, then Chart Design, Add Chart Element, Trendline.
3. **Pick the type**: Microsoft's options are Linear, Exponential, Linear Forecast and Moving Average.
4. **Explain it**: Under the figure in your report, write a sentence on what the line means. Do not leave the picture to speak alone.

Choose the trendline type based on what the theory behind your experiment predicts, not on which looks best. If you are unsure, ask your lab instructor or check the lab manual.

Writing lab reports on your laptop? Check student discounts on devices, software and subscriptions before you buy. [See the deals](https://tiswa.app/en/deals/). [Join tiswa](https://tiswa.app/en/join/)

## Worked example: your monthly budget chart

1. **Summarise spending**: Use SUMIF per category as in [basic Excel formulas](https://tiswa.app/en/blog/excel-formulas/), or a PivotTable as in [pivot tables in Excel](https://tiswa.app/en/blog/excel-pivot-tables/).
2. **Cut the categories**: If you have more than about seven categories, group the small ones into "Other" so a pie chart stays readable.
3. **Draw it**: Select the category totals, then Insert, Recommended Charts, and choose Pie or Column.
4. **Compare months**: With more than one month, use clustered columns: each category a group, each month a colour.

## Third example: one survey question

Agree-disagree survey questions read better as bars than as a pie, because the options are ordered and their labels are fairly long.

1. **Count the answers**: For each option from "Strongly agree" to "Strongly disagree", count responses with COUNTIF or a PivotTable.
2. **Keep the order**: List options in the same order as the survey, not largest to smallest, so readers follow the scale.
3. **Draw bars**: Insert, Recommended Charts, and choose Bar. Long labels show in full on the axis.
4. **Show shares**: With many responses, chart percentages instead of counts and give the sample size in or under the title.

## Common chart mistakes

| Mistake | Why it hurts | Instead |
|---|---|---|
| A pie with ten or more slices | Small slices cannot be read | Columns or bars, or group small ones as "Other" |
| A column chart axis that does not start at zero | It exaggerates small differences | Start column chart axes at zero |
| Lines for data that is not over time | It suggests a trend that is not there | Columns for separate categories |
| Many colours with no meaning | They distract the reader | One colour, with the key result highlighted |
| No title or units | It cannot be understood out of context | A title stating the finding, axes with units |

## Prepare the chart for a paper or slides

- Enlarge label and number fonts, because what looks clear on your screen shrinks a lot on slides and printed pages.
- Use one strong colour for the key result and muted colours for the rest.
- Number figures in your paper (Figure 1, Figure 2) and give the data source under each.
- When you paste into PowerPoint or Word, make sure resizing does not distort the proportions.
- Avoid 3D effects; they make values harder to compare.

Full presentation advice is in [how to make a presentation](https://tiswa.app/en/blog/presentation-tips/), and writing the results around your figures is in [how to write a research paper](https://tiswa.app/en/blog/how-to-write-a-research-paper/).

## Ask AI to pick the chart

Which chart should I use?:

```
I have data in Excel: [describe the columns and number of rows]. I want to show the reader that [the point you want to make]. Which chart type fits best and why? Suggest a chart title and axis titles, and tell me whether to add a trendline.
```

If you work in the browser, charts are also available in [Google Sheets](https://tiswa.app/en/blog/google-sheets-guide/). The full starter guide is [Excel for students](https://tiswa.app/en/blog/excel-for-students/).

## Questions

### How do I make a chart in Excel?

Select the data with its headers, then Insert, Recommended Charts, pick a type and select OK.

### What is the fastest way to create a chart?

Select the data and press ALT + F1. Excel creates a chart immediately; change the type if it does not suit you.

### When should I use a pie chart?

For parts of a whole in a single series, with no negative values and about seven categories or fewer. Otherwise use columns.

### How do I add a trendline?

Select the chart, then Chart Design, Add Chart Element, Trendline, and choose Linear or another type.

### Which chart suits lab results?

Usually a scatter chart, because it shows the relationship between two numeric values, with a trendline if needed.


## Sources

[^1]: support.microsoft.com, https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/create-a-chart-from-start-to-finish-0baf399e-dd61-4e18-8a73-b3fd5d5680c2
[^2]: support.microsoft.com, https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/create-a-pivottable-to-analyze-worksheet-data-a9a84538-bfe9-40a9-a8e9-f99134456576