Excel 2010 Bible

Chapter 19: Learning Advanced Charting

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In some cases, you may prefer to omit the legend and use callouts to identify the data series. Figure

19.7 shows a chart with no legend. Instead, it uses Shapes to identify each series. These Shapes are

from the Callouts section of the Chart Tools ➪ Layout ➪ Insert ➪ Shapes Gallery.

FIGURE 19.7

Using Shapes as callouts in lieu of a legend.

You created a killer chart and spent hours customizing it. Now you need to create another one just like

it, but with a different set of data. What are your options? You have several choices:

l Copy the formatting. Create your new chart with the default formatting. Then select your

original chart and choose Home ➪ Clipboard ➪ Copy (or press Ctrl+C). Click your new chart

and choose Home ➪ Clipboard ➪ Paste ➪ Paste Special. In the Paste Special dialog box,

select the Formats option.

l Copy the chart; change the data sources. Press Ctrl while you click the original chart and

drag. This creates an exact copy of your chart. Then choose Chart Tools ➪ Design ➪ Data ➪

Select Data. In the Select Data Source dialog box, specify the data for the new chart.

l Create a chart template. Select your chart and then choose Chart Tools ➪ Design ➪ Type ➪

Save as Template. Excel prompts you for a name. When you create your next chart, use this

template as the chart type.

Copying Chart Formatting