Excel 2010 Bible

Part III: Creating Charts and Graphics

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Handling hidden or missing data

By default, if you hide rows or columns that are used in a Sparkline graphic, the hidden data does

not appear in the Sparkline. Also, missing data is displayed as a gap in the graphic.

To change these settings, choose Sparkline Tools ➪ Design ➪ Sparkline ➪ Edit Data ➪ Hidden

and Empty Cells. In the Hidden and Empty Cell Settings dialog box that appears (see Figure 21.6),

specify how to handle hidden data and empty cells.

FIGURE 21.6

The Hidden and Empty Cell Settings dialog box.

Changing the Sparkline type

As I mentioned earlier, Excel supports three Sparkline types: Line, Column, and Win/Loss. After

you create a Sparkline or group of Sparklines, you can easily change the type by selecting the

Sparkline and clicking one of the three icons in the Sparkline Tools ➪ Design ➪ Type group. If the

selected Sparkline is part of a group, all Sparklines in the group are changed to the new type.

Tip
If you’ve customized the appearance, Excel remembers your customization settings for each type if you switch
among Sparkline types. n

Changing Sparkline colors and line width

After you’ve created a Sparkline, changing the color is easy. Use the controls in the Sparkline

Tools ➪ Design ➪ Style group.

Note
Colors used in Sparkline graphics are tied to the document theme. Thus, if you change the theme (by choosing
Page Layout ➪ Themes ➪ Themes), the Sparkline colors will change to the new theme colors. See Chapter 6 for
more information about document themes. n

For Line Sparklines, you can also specify the line width. Choose Sparkline Tools ➪ Design ➪

Style ➪ Sparkline Color ➪ Weight.