We can create different charts from a Pivot Table by using the Charts feature in excel. We can also format these charts by clicking on the created charts and use the formatting handles beside it. This enables us to visualize trends and make comparisons in our data. The steps below will walk through the process.
Figure 1- How to Create a Chart from a Pivot Table
Setting up the Data
- We will use the Grouped Sales data by Month in the Pivot Table of figure 2 to create and format different charts
Figure 2 – Setting up the Data
Creating a Pie Chart
- We will click on anywhere within the Pivot Table
- We will click on the Insert tab
- We will click on the Pie Chart icon in the Charts section and select the type of Pie Chart we want
Figure 3- Click on Pie Chart Icon
Figure 4- Created 3-D Pie Chart
Figure 5- Created Doughnut Pie Chart
Formatting a Pie Chart
- We will click on the Pie Chart Area. We will see two boxes; one with a + sign and the other like a brush. We will click on the + sign (chart elements). The chart elements allow us to add a Title, Data Labels (click the arrow to choose a label), and Legend.
Figure 6- Formatting the Pie Chart
- We can click on more options of the chart elements to modify the Pie chart properties as we wish.
- When we click on the chart area, the brush feature allows us to add several styles to the chart.
Figure 7- Formatting the Pie Chart
- We can click on any of the colors of the chart to format data series
Figure 8- Formatting the Pie Chart
Figure 9- Formatted February Area
- We can click on the chart area, right-click on the area and click on fill to format it with either colors or pictures
Figure 10- Formatted Chart Area with Picture from File
- We can click on the quarters and dates in the legend to apply filters to the data.
Figure 11- Filters applied to remove QTR1 and January
- We can create another chart type like a bar chart by right-clicking on the current pie chart area and click on change chart type. By clicking on the Legend at the right, we can change the color of each bar.
Figure 12- Formatted Bar Chart
Note
- Everything we did for the Pie Chart is applicable to the bar chart or other chart types
- Several parts of the chart area can be adjusted to what we want. We just need to click on areas of the chart we wish to format and either right-click or use the dialog box that comes up on the right
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