In my prior post, I sketched a few options for a performing arts organization’s fictional ticket sales data:
I intentionally separated the year-by-year bars from the total bar with a little extra space. I don’t want all the bars mushed together.
Easy to sketch on paper.
But easy in Excel?
Yes!
Here’s the default Excel graph.
Yuck.
Here’s the mostly edited version: reduced clutter; custom color; labels directly beside the data; reduced gap width.
The secret strategy for nudging one of the bars over to the right: Add an empty column to your data table.
Bonus: Download my spreadsheet. Apply my secret to your own projects. Post a comment and let me know how you’ve applied this technique!
Carlos Aguilar
Jul 5, 2016 -
Very nice. I like it.
George Mount
Jul 6, 2016 -
Beautiful! I love that you included a picture of the sketched prototype as a reminder to, ahem, sketch something before futzing around with Excel charts!
baconxl
Aug 25, 2016 -
A variation of this trick will allow you to make side-by-side stacked column charts, as well!