Changing Chart Colors Based on Value for Better Data Visuals
Excel is known for its versatile data visualization capabilities. An interesting technique to make your charts more insightful is to alter the color of data points based on their value. This tutorial will guide you on how to accomplish this.
Start With the Right Data
Before we dive in, ensure your data is structured appropriately. Let's take an example where we have sales data for various months, and we want to emphasize the months where sales surpassed a specific threshold.
Crafting a Basic Chart
Select your data and initiate a chart by hitting 'Insert' -> 'Chart'. For our illustration, a column chart will work perfectly.
Introduce a New Data Series
We'll add a new data series that will assist in coloring the columns based on their value. In your data, create a new column. In this fresh column, implement an IF statement that yields the sales value if it crosses the threshold, and NA() if it doesn't.
Incorporate the New Series into the Chart
Select the chart, then hit the 'Chart Design' tab, choose 'Select Data'. In the ensuing dialog box, include the new series.
Modifying the Color of the New Series
Click on any column of the new series to select it, then press the 'Format' tab, and opt for a new fill color.
Voila! You've now created an Excel chart where the columns alter their color based on the value. This technique brings your data to life, making it more engaging and easier to understand.
Broaden your data visualization skills in Excel by adding a third dimension to your charts. By changing chart colors based on values, your charts will not only look better but also make data trends and outliers much more perceivable.
