Excel 2010 Bible

Part III: Creating Charts and Graphics

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The chart title or any of the axis titles can also use a cell reference. For example, you can create a

link so the chart always displays the text contained in cell A1 as its title. To create a link, select the

title, type an equal sign (=), point to the cell, and press Enter. After you create the link, the

Formula bar displays the cell reference when you select the title.

Working with a Legend

A chart’s legend consists of text and keys that identify the data series in the chart. A key is a small

graphic that corresponds to the chart’s series (one key for each series).

To add a legend to your chart, choose Chart Tools ➪ Layout ➪ Labels ➪ Legend. This drop-down

control contains several options for the legend placement. After you add a legend, you can drag it

to move it anywhere you like.

Tip
If you move a legend from its default position, you may want to change the size of the Plot Area to fill in the
gap left by the legend. Just select the Plot Area and drag a border to make it the desired size. n

The quickest way to remove a legend is to select the legend and then press Delete.

You can select individual items within a legend and format them separately. For example, you may

want to make the text bold to draw attention to a particular data series. To select an element in the

legend, first select the legend and then click the desired element.

If you didn’t include legend text when you originally selected the cells to create the chart, Excel

displays Series 1, Series 2, and so on in the legend. To add series names, choose Chart Tools ➪

Design ➪ Data ➪ Select Data to display the Select Data Source dialog box (see Figure 19.6). Select

the series name and click the Edit button. In the Edit Series dialog box, type the series name or

enter a cell reference that contains the series name. Repeat for each series that needs naming.

FIGURE 19.6

Use the Select Data Source dialog box to change the name of a data series.