Data Analysis with Microsoft Excel: Updated for Office 2007

Chapter 3 Working with Charts 113

Figure 3-25 shows the current appearance of the bubble plot.

Figure 3-25
The initial
bubble plot as an
embedded chart
object

The default appearance of the bubble symbols makes it diffi cult to sepa-

rate one bubble from another. You can modify the plot symbols to make the

chart easier to read and interpret.

To format the bubble symbols:

1 Click one of the bubbles in the chart to select all of the bubble

symbols.

2 Click the Format tab from the Chart Tools ribbon and then click the

Format Selection button from the Current Selection group.

3 Excel opens the Format Data series dialog box. Click the Fill tab and

then click the Color button and select Yellow from the list of

standard colors.

4 Fill colors are, by default, solid; but you can allow them to become

partially transparent so that overlapping bubbles can be distin-

guished from one another. Drag the Transparency slider located

below the Color button to the value 66%. Figure 3-26 shows the

modifi ed fi ll color scheme for the bubbles.