graph presentation tips

Jazz Up Your Presentation: 6 Ways to Put an End to Ugly Charts and Graphs

Updated on: 22 December 2020

People often add charts and graphs to their presentation trying to make it more interesting. Unfortunately, most efforts to make it unique usually end up having the exact opposite effect.

Often, the enormous collection of slides with colorful presentation charts and graphs blows up your brain by the end of the presentation rather than arousing your interest in the data. You don’t want to be the person who puts his audience through this agonizing experience every time you fire up your laptop.

So, is there a way to jazz up your presentation with beautiful charts and graphs?

The short answer to this question is ‘Yes.’ Here are 6 ways to improve your presentation charts and graphs to effortlessly strengthen your message.

Refrain from Using Backgrounds

When it comes to decorating the graph background, you should avoid using gradients of color or varying the background color in any other way.

It not only undermines your ability to present the data unambiguously but also adds distraction. The context surrounding an object often influences our perception of it.

See the two graphs above, the grey background in the left graph doesn’t provide any information. On the contrary, it doesn’t contrast sufficiently with the object. As a result, it undermines the visibility of the objects in the graph. So, make sure the background is consistent with the slide background.

If you always use the default slide background, you should use ‘No Fill’ ‘or White’ background color as it matches the slide background.

Eliminate Redundant Labels

Why do you want to waste the space on redundant labels? Most graphs charts are quite self-explanatory. Repeated axis labels and legend are the two things that occupy the space for no reason.

In fact, they are taking up space that would be better spent on the graph. So, make sure to remove duplicate labels. The graph on the right looks better than the original graph to the left, as it is much easier to understand.

Alternatively, you can also label the bars directly. However, if you do, remove the Y-axis completely. As the exact value of each element is displayed, you don’t need to use the grid lines either.

Mind the Border Formatting

When it comes to graphs and charts, less is more. You should format the graph background to reduce the lines as far as possible while retaining the meaning of the data presented in it.

Though the default gridlines and borders are a sensible choice, they are a distraction as your audience is most likely not interested in knowing the exact figures for each data point.

If you want to display exact values, label the bars directly as discussed in the previous point. Removing the lines highlights the data and the pattern dramatically. So, remove all of the outer borders as well as grid lines as shown below.

Use Colors Meaningfully

Contrary to the popular belief, you should avoid using bright colors for presentation charts and graphs as far as possible. In fact, you should use natural colors to display general information and use the bright color only to highlight information that demands attention.

Using same colored bars on a graph makes it easier to compare the data. Use different colors only if they correspond to different elements in the data.

Sometimes, however, you can use different colors to highlight particular data or assemble different parts. In other words, you need to use colors meaningfully and with caution. The following examples will help explain the points mentioned above.

A) Using Natural Colors for Easier Comparison

B) Using Bright Colors to Pop Important Data

C) Using Different Colors to Point out Differences in Data Elements

Avoid Using Special Effects (Shadowing and Shading)

Avoid using special effects such as shadowing, shading, and 3D effects when creating presentation charts and graphs, especially for professional purposes. They just make it hard to compare the elements and confuse the reader.

You should, however, stick to presenting only essential information. So, keep it simple and avoid flashy special effects.

Text and Font

Using bold font isn’t going to make much difference in your graph. As far as possible, avoid using bold, underline or italic fonts. Keep the font size and type consistent throughout the presentation.

Avoid effects such as shading, outline, and 3D letters. Always lighten secondary data labels. The less you format the better.

Have More Tips for Creating Better Presentation Charts and Graphs?

When it comes to creating an attention-grabbing presentation , the rule of thumb is to display the data in a simple and clear way.

With the help of these 6 tried and tested tips, your presentation charts and graphs will look phenomenal without compromising your data. What about you? What tricks have you used to make your graphs look unique? Feel free to share your ideas and suggestions in the comments box below.

About the Author

Swati Kapoor is a qualified dietitian at Practo . She has a Masters degree in Dietetics and Food Service Management. She is a strong believer in spreading the goodness of ‘nutrition through healthy eating’. As a responsible dietitian, Swati examines her patients’ health history carefully before recommending any diet or workout regimen, because everybody has different requirements.

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Presentation ideas • Tips and Tricks

15 Creative Ways to Use Charts and Graphs in Presentations

Emily Bryce

12 December 2022

In today’s data-driven world, presentations are no longer just about presenting ideas and concepts, but also about presenting data in an engaging and easy-to-understand manner. This is where charts and graphs come in. They help to visualize data, making it easier for the audience to grasp and retain information. In this blog post, we will explore creative ways to use charts and graphs in presentations.

1. Use charts and graphs to compare data

One of the most common uses of charts and graphs is to compare data. Whether you are comparing sales figures, market trends or customer feedback, charts and graphs can help you present the information in a visually compelling way. Use bar charts, line graphs, pie charts, and scatter plots to showcase the data in a way that makes it easy to understand and compare.

2. Use charts and graphs to show trends

Another way to use charts and graphs in presentations is to show trends over time. For example, if you are presenting the growth of your business over the last five years, use a line graph to show the upward trend. If you want to show the fluctuations in your business over a period of time, use a scatter plot to highlight the highs and lows.

3. Use charts and graphs to show relationships

Charts and graphs can also be used to show the relationship between different sets of data. For example, if you are presenting the correlation between customer satisfaction and sales, use a scatter plot to show the relationship between the two variables. You can also use bubble charts to show the relationship between three different variables.

4. Use charts and graphs to show distribution

If you are presenting data that is distributed across a range, such as the ages of your customers, use a histogram to show the distribution. Histograms are great for showing the frequency distribution of data, and they can help you identify patterns and trends in the data.

5. Use charts and graphs to show proportions

Pie charts are a great way to show proportions. Use pie charts to show the proportion of sales for different products or the proportion of the budget allocated to different departments. Make sure to keep the number of categories to a minimum to ensure that the chart is easy to read.

6. Use creative chart and graph designs

Charts and graphs don’t have to be boring. Use creative designs and colors to make your charts and graphs stand out. For example, you can use a bar chart with a gradient background to make it more visually appealing. You can also use icons and images to make your charts and graphs more engaging.

7. Use charts and graphs to tell a story

Finally, use charts and graphs to tell a story. Don’t just present the data, but use it to support your message. Use a combination of charts and graphs to create a narrative that engages your audience and leaves them with a clear understanding of your message.

In conclusion, charts and graphs are a powerful tool for presenting data in an engaging and easy-to-understand manner. Use them creatively to showcase data, tell a story, and leave a lasting impression on your audience. With the right use of charts and graphs, you can take your presentations to the next level.

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Home Blog Design How to Make a Presentation Graph

How to Make a Presentation Graph

Visuals are a core element of effective communication, and regardless of the niche, graphs facilitate understanding data and trends. Data visualization techniques aim to make data engaging, easy to recall and contextualize while posing as a medium to simplify complex concepts .

In this article, we’ll guide you through the process of creating a presentation graph, briefly covering the types of graphs you can use in presentations, and how to customize them for maximum effectiveness. Additionally, you can find references on how to narrate your graphs while delivering a presentation.

Table of Contents

What is a Presentation Graph?

Types of graphs commonly used in presentations, how to select a presentation graph type, design principles for effective presentation graphs, working with presentation graph templates, integrating the graph into your presentation, common mistakes to avoid when making a presentation graph, final words.

A presentation graph is a visual representation of data, crafted in either 2D or 3D format, designed to illustrate relationships among two or more variables. Its primary purpose is to facilitate understanding of complex information, trends, and patterns, making it easier for an audience to grasp insights during a presentation. 

By visually encoding data, presentation graphs help highlight correlations, distributions, and anomalies within the dataset, thereby supporting more informed decision-making and discussion. 

Various types of graphs are commonly used in presentations. Each type serves specific purposes, allowing presenters to choose the most suitable format for conveying their data accurately. Here, we’ll discuss some common examples of presentation graphs.

Check our guide for more information about the differences between charts vs. graphs .

A bar chart is a visual tool that represents data using horizontal bars, where the length of each bar correlates with the data value it represents. This type of chart is used to compare discrete categories or groups, highlighting differences in quantities or frequencies across these categories. 

For more information check our collection of bar chart PowerPoint templates .

Column Graphs

Column graphs are a variation of bar charts. They display data through vertical columns, allowing for comparing values across different categories or over time. Each column’s height indicates the data value, making it straightforward to observe differences and trends.

Line Graphs

Line graphs depict information as a series of data points connected by straight lines. They are primarily used to show trends over time or continuous data, with the x-axis typically representing time intervals and the y-axis representing the measured values. Line graphs highlight the rate of change between the data points, indicating trends and fluctuations.

For more information check our collection of line chart PowerPoint templates .

Circle Graphs

Circle graphs, commonly known as pie charts or donut charts, present the data distribution as fractions of an entity. They provide a quick understanding of the relative sizes of each component within a dataset. Pie charts are particularly effective when the goal is to highlight the contribution of each part to the whole data.

For more information check our collection of circle diagram templates .

Area Graphs

Area graphs are similar to line graphs, but the space below the line is filled in, emphasizing the volume beneath the curve. They represent cumulative totals over time through the use of sequential data points, making it easier to see total values and the relative significance of different parts of the data.

For more information check our collection of area chart PowerPoint templates .

Cone, Cylinder, and Pyramid Graphs

Three-dimensional graphs, such as cones, cylinders, and pyramids, create a dynamic visual impact on presentations. While not as common as the other types, they are used for their ability to add depth and dimension to data representation. These graphs create a visually engaging experience for the audience, although sometimes they sacrifice accuracy for the sake of visuals.

For more information check our collection of pyramid diagram PowerPoint templates .

As a presenter, you must be aware of both the topic’s requirements to discuss and your audience’s needs. Different graphs fulfill distinct purposes, and selecting the right one is critical for effective communication.

Line Graphs for Trends Over Time

A line graph is effective when you want to present trends or changes over a continuous period, like sales performance over months. Each point on the line represents a specific time, offering a clear visual representation of the data’s progression.

Bar Graphs for Comparing Quantities

If your goal is to compare quantities or values across different categories, such as sales figures for various products, a bar graph is suitable. The varying lengths of bars make it easy to compare the magnitudes of different categories.

Pie Charts for Showing Proportions

Use pie charts when you want to illustrate parts of a whole. For example, to represent the percentage distribution of expenses in a budget, a pie chart divides the total into segments, each corresponding to a category.

Follow these guidelines to create your presentation graph for the data you intend to represent. 

How to Make a Presentation Graph in PowerPoint

Start by opening your presentation slide deck. For this tutorial’s purpose, we’ll work with a blank slide.

Switch to the Insert tab and click on Chart . 

A new dialogue window will open, where you have to select the chart type and the specific representation type—i.e., for area charts, you can choose from 2D or 3D area charts and their distribution method.

If you hover over the selected chart, it will zoom in to check the details. Double-click to insert the chosen graph into the slide.

As we can see, a spreadsheet to edit the data is now available. If you accidentally close it, go to Chart Design > Edit Data.

Replace the data in the numbers to reflect the data you need to showcase. The columns’ titles indicate the text the legend shows for each series. Then, we can close the spreadsheet and continue customizing it.

By clicking on the paintbrush, we access the Style options for the graph. We can change the background color, layout style, and more.

If we switch to the Color tab inside of Style , we can modify the color scheme for the presentation graph. And as simple as that is how to make a graph in PowerPoint.

How to Make a Presentation Graph in Google Slides

Now, let’s see how to create a graph in Google Slides. We start once again from a blank slide.

Go to Insert > Chart . Select your desired presentation graph option. In our case, we will work with a Pie Chart.

To change the placeholder data, click on Edit Data .

If you missed the emergent tab, you can go to the three points in the graph, click on them, and select Open Source .

The graph will most likely cover the data spreadsheet, so move it to one side to see the entire data range. In this case, the auto-generated graph is wrong as the sum gives 110%. We’ll correct that now.

And this is how it looks with the corrected data.

Next, we click on the three dots on the chart and select Edit the Chart . This shall open all customization options.

At the Setup tab, we can change the chart style and select from various options. 

The data will refresh in that case and adapt its representation to the new style.

If we switch to the Customize tab (it says Customise, as the selected language is UK English), we can fine-tune our presentation graph starting from the background color.

Activate the 3D checkbox to change to a 3D pie chart (applicable to any graph).

We can find tailored settings for the Pie Chart to convert it to a donut chart, with settings like the donut hole size.

The Pie Slice section helps us change the color scheme for each one of the slices.

We can change the title and axis titles in the Chart and axis titles section.

Finally, the Legend section offers many customization options to alter the legend’s format.

Once the customization process is completed, close the Google Spreadsheets tab, go to your presentation chart, and click Update .

Google Slides will refresh the data for your created presentation graph with the last synced data.

Adhering to certain design principles is imperative for creating graphs and communicating information effectively.

Simplicity and Clarity

A graph should be clean and free from unnecessary details. Clear graphs have visible data points and helpful short texts for better understanding. Even if it looks simple, it can still show important information. To make it easy to understand, avoid adding distortions, shading, weird perspectives, too many colors, unnecessary decorations, or 3D effects [2]. It is also essential to ensure the plotted data points are clear, not hidden or covered.

Use of Color and Contrast

Thoughtful use of color and contrast enhances visual appeal and distinguishes different elements within the graph. Colors can effectively improve the chart presentation in three ways: highlighting specific data, grouping items, and encoding quantitative values. However, do not use fancy or varying colors in the background. We suggest resisting decorating graphs excessively, as it can hinder clear data presentation [4]. Only use different colors when they highlight important differences in the data.

Labeling and Legends

Accurate labeling is crucial to provide context and understanding. While designing graphs, we don’t expect the viewer to guess. Instead, we clearly label titles and axes.  Clear labeling means displaying both axes on your graph, including measurement units if needed. Identify symbols and patterns in a legend or caption [3]. Legends explain symbols and patterns in a graph.

Scale and Proportion

For more clarity, we keep the measurement scales consistent and avoid distortions for accuracy. This ensures the exact difference between all the values. It will present data relationships and prevent misinterpretation due to skewed visual perceptions.

Tips for Customizing Graphs

PowerPoint provides various customization options—Right-click on elements like axes, data points, or legends to format them. You can also change colors, fonts, and styles to match your presentation’s look.

Coloring Your Data

When you want to make different parts of your chart stand out, click on a bar or line. Then, right-click and choose “Format Data Series.” Here, you can pick a color that helps each set of data pop. Do this for each part of your chart to make it visually appealing.

Changing the Chart Background

If you want to change the background color around your chart, right-click on the white space. Choose “Format Chart Area” and change the background color to something that complements your data.

Customizing Line Styles

Change the appearance of your lines for a unique look. Click on a line in your chart, right-click, and select “Format Data Series.” Experiment with different line styles, such as solid, dashed, or dotted.

Fine-tuning Axis Appearance

To make your chart axes look polished, right-click on the X or Y axis and choose “Format Axis.” Adjust properties like line color, tick marks, and label font to suit your design.

Perfecting Legends

Legends can be tweaked for a more integrated look. Right-click on the legend, select “Format Legend,” and adjust options like placement, font size, and background color to enhance the overall appearance.

Creating graphs in PowerPoint or Google Slides from scratch can be time-consuming, and ultimately, it won’t yield the same results as professional-made designs. We invite you to discover some cool designs for presentation graphs PPT templates made by SlideModel.

1. Dashboard Presentation Graph for PowerPoint & Google Slides

Don’t worry about how to make a graph in PowerPoint – let’s us bring the resources in the shape of a cool dashboard layout. Ideal for any kind of e-commerce business, you can track expenses or income, evaluate metrics, and much more.

Use This Template

2. Infographic Donut Chart Presentation Template

Explain concepts in different hierarchy levels, or processes that require a set of sequential steps by implementing this donut chart PPT template. Each segment has a bubble callout to expand further information for the areas required.

3. Presentation Graph Slide Deck PPT Template

All that’s required to create a data-driven presentation is here. Customize donut charts, funnels, histograms, point & figure charts, and more to create professionally-designed presentation slides.

4. PowerPoint Charts Slide Deck

If you’re looking for clean layouts for column graphs, area charts, line graphs and donut charts, this is the template you need in your toolbox. Perfect for marketing, financial and academic reports.

Consider its relevance to the content when incorporating your graph into the presentation. Insert the graph in a slide where it logically fits within the flow of information.

Positioning the Graph Appropriately in the Presentation

Deciding where to put your graph in the presentation is essential. You want it to be where everyone can see it easily and where it makes sense. Usually, you place the graph on a slide that talks about the data or topic related to the graph. This way, people can look at the graph simultaneously when you talk about it. Make sure it is not too small. If needed, you can make it bigger or smaller to fit nicely on the slide. The goal is to position the graph so that it helps your audience understand your information better.

Ensuring Consistency with the Overall Design of the Presentation

Align the graph with the overall design of your presentation to maintain a cohesive visual appeal. You can use consistent colors, fonts, and styles to integrate the graph seamlessly. The graph must complement the theme and tone of your slides. Therefore, you should avoid flashy or distracting elements that may deviate from the established design. The goal is to create a harmonious and professional presentation where the graph blends naturally without causing visual disruptions. However, we recommend you use bar chart templates already available for presentation.

Narrating Your Graph

When explaining your graph during the presentation, start by providing context. Clearly state what the graph illustrates and its significance to the audience. Use simple and direct language, avoiding unnecessary jargon. It is important to walk through the axes, data points, and any trends you want to highlight. Speaking moderately allows the audience to absorb the information without feeling rushed. You can take pause when needed to emphasize crucial points or transitions.

You can learn more about creative techniques to narrate your graph in our data storytelling guide.

Overloading with Information

One common mistake is presenting too much information on a single graph. Avoid filling the graph with excessive data points or unnecessary details.

Misleading Scales or Axes

Scale mistakes, such as uneven intervals or a bar chart with zero baselines, are common graphical mistakes [5]. Misleading scales can distort the interpretation of the graph and lead to incorrect conclusions. Scales should accurately present the data without exaggerating certain aspects.

Inappropriate Graph Types for the Data

Selecting an inappropriate graph type for your data is a mistake to avoid. Choose a graph type that effectively communicates the nature of your data. For instance, a pie chart for time-based trends might not be the most suitable choice. Match the graph type to the data characteristics to convey information accurately.

Working with presentation graphs may feel challenging for a beginner in presentation design software. Still, practice makes the master. Start by clearly stating your objectives in terms of data representation—this will make the presentation graph-type selection process much easier. Customize the graph by working with appropriate color combinations (you can learn more about this in our color theory guide), as this can also help highlight relevant data sections that may influence an informed decision.

Everything depends on your creative skills and how you want to showcase information. As a final piece of advice, we highly recommend working with one graph per slide, unless you opted for a dashboard layout. Ideally, graphs should be seen from a distance, and working with reduced sizes may hinder accurate data representation.

[1] https://uogqueensmcf.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/BA Modules/Medical Laboratory/Medical Laboratory Courses PPT/Year III Sem II/Biostatistics/lecture 1.pdf (Accessed: 06 March 2024).

[2] Five Principles of Good Graphs. https://scc.ms.unimelb.edu.au/resources/data-visualisation-and-exploration/data-visualisation

[3} Guide to fairly good graphs. Statistics LibreTexts. https://stats.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Applied_Statistics/Biological_Statistics_(McDonald)/07%3A_Miscellany/7.02%3A_Guide_to_Fairly_Good_Graphs

[4] Practical rules for using color in charts. https://nbisweden.github.io/Rcourse/files/rules_for_using_color.pdf

[5] https://iase-web.org/islp/documents/Media/How%20To%20Avoid.pdf [6] Duquia, R.P. et al. (2014) Presenting data in tables and charts , Anais brasileiros de dermatologia . 10.1590/abd1806-4841.20143388

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Top Tips for Using Graphs and Charts in your Presentations

Graphs and charts are a great way to convey complex information.  But it is also easy to deliver information overload. We asked a range of expert presenters for their hints and tips on using graphs and charts in presentations.

Types of Graphs

Although texts carry ideas among individuals, there is no replacement for the pictorial representations that exist right from the days men lived in caves.  In order to standardise the communication, many types of graphs evolved in the man’s quest for quick, easy and precise representation of data. Graphs range from simple lines to complex cosmograms that even animate.

The below infographic will share some interesting information about different graph types:

1.     Less is more

I think one of the big things is to make sure you are using the right kind of chart to display the story you want your data to tell. Also, less is more. Charts are busy enough and any extra axis numbers, tick marks and such should be removed and the gridlines should be subtle colours that don’t overwhelm the image.

2.  Highlight key data points

I am asked to do a lot of creative tinkering with charts, and one of the most requested items is to highlight particular data points on a line chart. An easy and effective way to do this is by assigning a unique graphic to selected data points.

To do this you simply have to insert the graphic (could also be a text box with a relevant symbol character or wingding) somewhere on the slide. Then cut the graphic item to the clipboard. Go into your chart and select the single data point you want to affect (make sure you have the single data point and not the data series selected) and paste the graphic.

Valary Oleinik

Now that data point will carry the unique appearance even as the chart figures change.

I use this in instances such as a stock price timeline where you want to highlight the price at a certain date or you want to highlight where a change occurred in a business and you want a visual marker to make a comparison of the effects prior to and after the change. I could work up a chart sample if you would like.

3.  Simplify your slides

Many graphs can be simplified to make them easier to read.

Take this example.

• Too much clutter, what I call mumblers and what Edward Tufte calls chartjunk. These mumblers are like the dense foliage in a jungle; you need to hack away at them with effort to work your way further into the jungle. Mumblers in this chart include horizontal lines, unnecessarily large numbers on the x- and y-axes, unnecessary detailed text.
• Large gaps between the columns. The rule of thumb is the bars should be TWICE as large as the gap.
• Sideways numbers above the bars, which are unnecessarily hard to read. In fact, you don’t need the y-axis at all if the bar values are included.
• No pictures. Whenever possible, try to convert your graphs into concrete pictures. Adding a pictures of Bush and Obama can replace the legend.

Here is an example of how this slide can be improved.

Bruce Gabrielle

4.  Pie charts are not always easy to understand

Use the correct graph to display data. Pie charts are generally poor because viewers cannot quickly understand relative sizes of pie slices. Horizontal bar charts, sorted from high to low, communicate more clearly and are easier for the reader to scan quickly.

Both have their place, depending on what the audience needs.

Bruce Gabrielle – author, Speaking PowerPoint – www.speakingppt.com

5. Create better-looking graphs in PowerPoint 2010

PowerPoint 2010 creates much better graphs than the standard graphs that you get with PowerPoint 2003. Something we often do here if we are creating a PowerPoint 2003 presentation and the client does NOT need to edit the graphs themselves: we would create much better-looking graphs in PowerPoint 2010 and then copy them into the 2003 presentation as images. We know we are in the very fortunate position of having easy access to all versions of PowerPoint and this might not be possible for everyone.

6. Be careful of embedding sensitive data

But there are more reasons for doing this than just more visually aesthetic graphs. Whatever version of PowerPoint you are using, it’s still a good idea to keep the editable graph separate from your main presentation.

We know of a horror story where a presentation was left behind after an event and the Excel files that linked to the graphs contained some very commercially sensitive information.

7. Convey data in other ways than PowerPoint

Very few people remember the numbers. Convey them in some other meaningful way.

I had a participant on a course recently who was talking about a number of people that had been taken out of poverty in recent years. The number is meaningless, because I wouldn’t remember and cannot comprehend the number of people.

When he paused for a moment and said “That’s the same as the population of America”, it was easily understandable and extremely memorable.

8. Use props to convey data

Use props – check out Hans Rosling at TED on population statistics. He uses boxes and models of cars, planes and flip flops.

Paul Hayden

I once used steel buckets and coins – for the effect of the noise. If you show your market share by tipping in a (proportional number of ) few coins and then show the size of the available market left by tipping in another proportional number, people will not remember the number, but they will remember how long that noise lasted and how much share is up for grabs.

9. Only present key information

Think of what it means to the audience, perhaps just some of the data is enough (e.g. top 3 or 5 instead of the whole chart)

10. Concentrate on trends and changes

Concentrate on trends and changes rather than numbers and data.

11. 3D graphs are hard to read

Avoid 3-d graphs as much as possible, they are hard to read.

12. Animate your graphs

Try to animate the data instead of showing everything at once (overwhelming). By animating I don’t mean the custom animation on the software, but show the data gradually, one bar at a time for comparisons, one year at a time on a line chart, one piece of the pie on pie charts.

It will be like storytelling your data and the audience will be able to keep up.

Dr.Ahmad Al-Ani

13.  Take a look at data visualisation

Yolanthe Smit

I find graphs and charts usually rather boring unless they are on paper or a webpage so I can study them at my leisure.

We recently devoted an entire TEDxTheHague Salon to data visualisation and watched these great presentations:

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Presentation Guru

The 2 most effective strategies for presenting data and graphs.

Far too many presenters pack their slides with far too much information: text, bullet points, graphs, data markers, data labels, and collections of images. This information-dump encourages the audience to read the slides and spend less time listening to you speak.

Graphs present a particular challenge for many presenters, especially those used to working with detailed data and numbers. In my experience, researchers and analysts tend to put all of their data on the screen, filling up graphs with lines and bars and packing tables full of numbers.

Even what seem to be the simplest graphs can give your audience difficulties discerning patterns or trends. Take this slide, for example. With only four lines, this graph doesn’t have so much information, but the different (ugh, Excel default!) colors and the crisscrossing patterns make it difficult to identify a single trend.

There are (at least) two strategies you can take to make this graph easier for your reader.

Strategy #1: “Layer” the Graph

One strategy I often use is something I call “Layering.” Here, you present each data element sequentially, building up your story one data element at a time and walking your audience through your argument. The Layering technique can be applied to almost any slide object including images, graphs, and text.

In this example, instead of throwing the entire slide on the screen for the audience to decipher at one time, you can build up the graph one series at a time. (In some cases where the graph type may be non-standard or more complex, you may find it valuable to first show just the axes, describe what the graph is going to do, and then sequentially add the data.) Notice how in this case, the final graph has all four series, but you have brought the audience along with you to that final graph.

Strategy #2: Small Multiples

Another strategy is to take the “Small Multiples” approach. With small multiples, you create multiple, small versions of the graph. For presentations, you can also use small multiples with a layering approach, by sequentially adding each additional graph.

In either case, when using these approaches, be sure to make your last graph first and get everything arranged exactly the way you like. Then, when you start deleting the different data series, only the data values will change and not the axes or gridlines.

It’s especially important to lock the minimum and maximum values of the y-axis, because the software may change the axis values once you start deleting different data series.

When it comes to coloring the particular series of interest, the presenter needs to consider what is most important. Perhaps presenting every single line is not as important as focusing on a single data series. In that case, the Layering and Small Multiples approaches may not be entirely necessary and instead a single graph is best. I find that I begin building your graphs in the same color—gray works great—and then purposefully add color to help support the written or spoken word.

In the end, presentations are a fundamentally different form of communication than what you might write down and publish in a journal, report, or blog post. Simply copying and pasting portions of text, tables, and graphs disrupts how the speaker communicates information.

Instead, consider how you can visualize your content, unify what you say and what you show, and focus your audience’s attention where you want it when you want it.

These, and other important lessons about designing, creating, and delivering presentations can be found in my forthcoming book, Better Presentations: A Guide for Scholars, Researchers, and Wonks.

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Use charts and graphs in your presentation

You can make a chart in PowerPoint or Excel. If you have lots of data to chart, create your chart in Excel , and then copy it into your presentation . This is also the best way if your data changes regularly and you want your chart to always reflect the latest numbers. In that case, when you copy and paste the chart, keep it linked to the original Excel file .

To create a simple chart from scratch in PowerPoint, click Insert > Chart and pick the chart you want.

Click Insert > Chart .

Click the chart type and then double-click the chart you want.

Tip:  For help deciding which chart is best for your data, see Available chart types .

In the worksheet that appears, replace the placeholder data with your own information.

When you’ve finished, close the worksheet.

Create an org chart in PowerPoint

Create charts in Excel

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How to Create Charts and Graphs to Visualize Data in PowerPoint

The use of data visualization has become increasingly important in today’s digital age, as more and more people have access to large quantities of data. Whether working with data for business, education, research, or personal use, it’s essential to present it in a clear and meaningful way, so it can be easily understood and analyzed. One of the most popular tools for creating visually appealing charts and graphs is Microsoft PowerPoint.

Table of Contents

Understanding the Importance of Data Visualization

Data visualization is the process of representing information in a visual format, such as charts, graphs, and diagrams. When done effectively, it provides a way to quickly understand complex data and identify patterns and trends that may be missed when viewing it in a static table or spreadsheet. Visualizations also allow you to tell a story with the data, making it engaging and memorable for your audience.

Moreover, data visualization can also help in identifying outliers and anomalies in the data, which can be crucial in decision-making processes. It can also aid in identifying correlations and relationships between different variables, which can lead to new insights and discoveries. Additionally, data visualization can be used to communicate data-driven insights to stakeholders and decision-makers, making it an essential tool in various industries such as business, healthcare, and education.

Choosing the Right Chart or Graph for Your Data

There are many different types of charts and graphs to choose from, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. When selecting the right chart or graph for your data, it’s important to consider the following factors:

• The type of data you have (categorical or numerical)
• The relationships between the data points
• The purpose of your presentation

Some of the most common chart types include bar charts, line graphs, pie charts, and scatter plots. Each chart type can display your data in a different way, highlighting specific features depending on the nature of your data.

Another important factor to consider when choosing a chart or graph is the audience you will be presenting to. Different types of charts and graphs may be more effective for different audiences. For example, a pie chart may be more easily understood by a general audience, while a scatter plot may be more appropriate for a technical audience.

It’s also important to consider the context in which your data will be presented. If you are presenting data in a business setting, for example, you may want to choose a chart or graph that emphasizes the financial implications of your data. On the other hand, if you are presenting data in an academic setting, you may want to choose a chart or graph that emphasizes the statistical significance of your data.

Creating a Bar Chart in PowerPoint

Bar charts are one of the most common chart types used in data visualization. They are useful for comparing values across different categories. To create a bar chart in PowerPoint:

• Select the data you want to include in the chart
• Click the ‘Insert’ tab and select the ‘Bar’ chart type
• Choose the specific bar chart subtype you want to use (such as stacked, clustered, or 100% stacked)
• Format the chart by adding labels, titles, and modifying the color scheme

With just a few clicks, you can create a visually appealing bar chart that highlights the differences and similarities between your data categories.

It is important to note that when creating a bar chart, you should carefully consider the data you are presenting and choose the appropriate chart subtype. For example, a stacked bar chart may be useful for showing the total value of each category, while a clustered bar chart may be better for comparing values within each category.

Additionally, you can customize your bar chart further by adding data labels, changing the axis titles, and adjusting the chart layout. Experiment with different options to find the best way to present your data in a clear and visually appealing way.

Making a Line Graph with PowerPoint

Line graphs are another common type of chart used to display numerical data. They are useful for showing trends over time. To create a line graph in PowerPoint:

• Click the ‘Insert’ tab and select the ‘Line’ chart type
• Choose the specific line graph subtype you want to use (such as 2D or 3D)
• Add labels, titles, and customize the color scheme

Line graphs are useful because they allow you to see how your data changes over time. They can make it easier to identify trends or patterns that may be hidden in other types of charts.

One important thing to keep in mind when creating a line graph is to ensure that your data is properly formatted. This means that your data should be organized in a way that makes sense for the type of graph you are creating. For example, if you are creating a line graph to show the sales of a particular product over time, you should organize your data by date and sales figures.

Another useful feature of line graphs in PowerPoint is the ability to add trendlines. Trendlines are lines that are added to a graph to help you see the overall trend of your data. They can be useful for identifying patterns or predicting future trends. To add a trendline in PowerPoint, simply right-click on the data series you want to add the trendline to, and select ‘Add Trendline’ from the menu.

Pie Charts: When and How to Use Them

Pie charts are a popular choice for showing proportions of a whole. They are useful for displaying categorical data and can quickly give an idea of the main contributors for something. However, they can be difficult to interpret when many sections are used. Some tips for making a great pie chart:

• Limit pie charts to 5-7 sections at most
• Make sure percentages add up to 100
• Make labels visible and clear
• Highlight important sections to draw attention

Keep in mind that while pie charts can be visually impactful, they should only be used when they effectively convey the data being presented.

Another important consideration when using pie charts is to ensure that the sections are proportional to the data they represent. If one section is significantly larger than the others, it can skew the overall perception of the data. Additionally, it’s important to choose colors that are easily distinguishable from each other, especially for those who may have color blindness.

While pie charts are a great option for displaying categorical data, they may not be the best choice for showing changes over time or comparing multiple sets of data. In these cases, a line graph or bar chart may be more appropriate. It’s important to consider the type of data being presented and choose the appropriate visualization method to effectively communicate the information.

Creating a Stacked Column Chart in PowerPoint

Stacked column charts are useful for showing how different parts of a whole contribute to the total, while also comparing values for different categories. To create a stacked column chart in PowerPoint:

• Click the ‘Insert’ tab and select the ‘Column’ chart type
• Select the ‘Stacked Column’ subtype
• Format the chart by adding labels, titles, and modifying the colors of the columns

With stacked column charts, you can communicate a lot of information clearly and efficiently.

Using Bubble Charts for Comparative Analysis

Bubble charts are a useful way to show three dimensions of data in a single graph. They are great for comparing two numerical data sets paired with a categorial one. To create a bubble chart in PowerPoint:

• Click the ‘Insert’ tab and select the ‘Bubble’ chart type
• Format the chart by adding labels, titles, and modifying the size, color, and alignment of the bubbles

Bubble charts are perfect for comparing three-dimensional data sets, highlighting the relationships between the various elements being compared.

Adding Labels and Titles to Your Charts and Graphs

Labels and titles are key to effective data visualization. They provide context for the chart or graph you’re presenting and help your audience understand your data. To add labels and titles to your charts and graphs in PowerPoint:

• Select the chart or graph you want to add labels and titles to
• Click on the ‘Chart Elements’ button in the upper-right corner of the chart
• Select the elements you want to add, and choose from the available options for formatting and positioning

By adding labels and titles, you can make your charts and graphs much more informative and easier to understand.

Customizing Colors and Styles for Better Visual Appeal

Colors, styles, and formatting can make a big difference when it comes to the visual appeal of your charts and graphs. Customizing options in PowerPoint allows you to personalize the look of your visualizations. Some tips:

• Use consistent branding colors to help maintain visual consistency
• Choose high-contrast color combinations to help text and graphics stand out
• Avoid too many colors, keeping the chart or graph simple and clear

Customizing colors and styles helps bring cohesion to your presentation while making it more engaging to your audience.

Animating Your Charts and Graphs for Presentations

Animated charts and graphs can be eye-catching and effective for presentations, as they create a sense of dynamism and show how data changes over time. To animate your charts and graphs in PowerPoint:

• Select the chart or graph you want to animate
• Click on the ‘Animations’ tab, and select the type of animation you want to use
• Customize the animation settings to suit your needs, including duration, direction and order of animations

Animations bring data to life, making them more memorable for your audience.

Tips and Tricks for Effective Data Visualization in PowerPoint

Effective data visualization isn’t just about picking the right chart or graph type. There are additional tips and tricks that you can use to make sure your data is presented in the most meaningful way. Here are some things to keep in mind:

• Keep it simple, using plain and unambiguous language
• Choose the right chart or graph type, fitting your data needs as well as your presentation goals
• Make it easy to read, using appropriate font sizes, colors, and layout
• Use engaging visuals, adding icons and images where appropriate
• Tell a story, organizing the chart or graph in a logical and meaningful manner

By paying attention to these tips, you’ll be able to create visually appealing and effective data visualizations that effectively communicate your message to your audience.

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15 Interesting Ways to Use Graphs in a Presentation [Templates Included]

Remember childhood days, when most of us hated mathematics like anything on this planet? The Pythagoras theorem, never-ending formulas of trigonometry, knot theory, and some other backbreaking algorithms. Oh! What a roller-coaster ride the mathematical equations and terms have given us! Even though attending the mathematics class was a real traumatic experience, we can’t ignore the most interesting yet important chapter- graphs . Yes, the x-axis and y-axis! Graphs are visually effective tools for displaying the relationship between numerous data points. They make complex problems much simpler and easy to understand.

From childhood to us being professionals, graphs have been of great help. In this fast-paced world, there’s not enough time for entrepreneurs to give an in-depth explanation of their financial situation or structure to the spectators. Remembering a bulk of monetary statuses and telling respective authorities about it is not at all easy. That is the reason why professionals take the help of presentations, which consists of in-built graphs and charts. To be more precise, entrepreneurs love to incorporate charts and graphs in their presentations as they are the easiest and the most flexible to showcase facts or figures. Undeniably, graphs bring out the clarity in every information that a presenter needs to convey to his audience. Therefore, using graphs in business presentations is effective. Also, there are multiple ways a graph can be used in a presentation. Here, in this blog, we will talk about 15 vivid portrayals of charts and graphs along with a few added tips. The ways are demonstrated via our professionally designed templates.

So, without any further ado, let’s see what our 15 interactive graph templates have to offer you! 

15 Graph Templates To Download and Use 

The template that has a dark color in the background is always a game-stealer. Just take a look at this attractive graph template with so many colors in it. The slide is pre-designed to tailor all your needs. You only have to edit the content. That’s it! Download this template in a single click and see how your viewers get attracted to your proposed information.

Download Combo Chart Growth Rate Finance PPT PowerPoint Presentation

This template will fulfill all your business requirements. This engaging slide is a combination of both a pie chart and a graph. In this template, you can see the graph overlapping with a pie-chart which is the best option for you to display your financial summary. The color scheme that our experts have applied in this template is so appealing. Grab this slide and start filling in your information.

Download Business Women With Column Pie Chart PowerPoint Graph

As you can see in the template given below, the colors used in the slide soothes the eyes, which is a plus point. Readers often get attracted to the presentation that has pleasing backgrounds and lucrative images. With the help of this graph template, you can show the growth of your business over the past years.

Download Business Person With Column Chart PowerPoint Graph

Take advantage of this eye-catching column chart or graph template that allows you to monitor your business statistics appropriately. This slide is attainable in excel sheets as well, which gives you the benefit of editing your data quickly. The cookie point you will receive after utilizing this template is that it comes up with ample space where you can place your companies’ logo for making the presentation more recognizable.

Download Box Plots Business Column Chart PowerPoint Graph

This visually-attractive triangular chart or graph template helps you in jotting down your revenue status so far. The psychology of colors used in this slide is really aesthetic. You can add or delete the content as per your needs. 

Download Triangular Chart For Data Driven Result Display PowerPoint Slides

The slide shown below is so colorful that it holds your audience's attention at once. You can customize the template and highlight the data that you want to share with your audience.

Download Pie Chart With Line Graph Icon

This triangular-shaped bar graph template will help you in displaying your data effectively. Also, the shape and colors this slide has will impress the viewers in one-go. The graph template allows you to segregate your data and present your information precisely. 

Download Data Driven Triangular Bar Graph PowerPoint Slides

You already have an idea of how line charts work. Using this line chart template, you can easily compare the data values over specific time intervals. The color contrast will make the comparison of your quantitative data even more visible. 

Download Line Chart For Data Analysis PowerPoint Graph

This graph template comes in soothing colors and hues that will make your data more interesting than ever. The slider bar chart template helps you in showcasing your data analytics proficiently. The slide consists of amazing fonts and styles that will add more creativity to your presentation.

Download Slider Bar Chart With Target PowerPoint Graph

Template 10

This beautifully designed butterfly graph template is here to categorize your different data. With this, you can monitor the changes occurring in each business category over the two consecutive years. And also, which section needs to be focused more. You can color the graph of yearly categories as per your choice.

Download Butterfly Bar Chart For Business Performance PowerPoint Graph

Template 11

The green tone used in this bar graph template can win your audience’s attention effortlessly. You can put this template in your presentation, and without adding many effects, you are good to present the business dynamics before the viewers.

Download Column Chart With Growth Line PowerPoint Graph

Template 12

This pastel-colored conical graph with black color in the background makes your presentation a winner. You can easily seek your audiences’ attention by visualizing every bit of data systematically.

Download Data Driven 3D Chart Shows Interrelated Sets Of Data PowerPoint Slides

Template 13

This unique patterned graph will make your complex data look simpler. Our eye-catching graph template will make your presentation extra stylish yet professional. Grab this template to input your data effectively.

Download Unique Pattern Sales Data Driven Chart PowerPoint Slides

Template 14

This amazing template that contains bar graphs and pie-chart will enable you to display your business matrix in a simpler form. The graphics present in this template do not pixelate and thus, aids you in creating the best presentation of your life.

Download Project Progress With Column And Pie Chart PowerPoint Graph

Template 15

The image shown in the template below visualizes the bar graphs along with the bulbs on top. Here, you can see the bulbs are of the same color except for the one. The highlighted bulb depicts leadership qualities. You can use this template in your presentation to portray the leadership and reputation your company has achieved over the years.

Download Light Bulb On Bar Graph With Leader On Top

The blog is not over yet! Along with the graph templates, here are some cookie points for you that will make your presentation game stronger. Learn more about how to add creativity in your graphs with the help of a few key-pointers explained below! 

• Start from selecting a graph design

Firstly, segregate your data. When you create a presentation, go to the insert option and choose a graph according to your needs. The charts or graphs are of different types. Some of them are pie-chart, histogram, bar graph, waterfall, combo graph. So, select from any of these (or others) and put it on a presentation. 

• Format the data

You can easily edit your proposed data and update it, later it can automatically be shown in your chart as well. Keep the data or facts intact. Do not clutter everything on a graph.

• Fill in some vibrant colors

To compare the data, make sure each section has different yet soothing colors in it. It will help the audience to understand the information better, and also you will be able to share your message across conveniently. 

• Animation is the key

Instead of showing graph-sections all at once, use the animation option that highlights each section after a pause. This way will grab viewers' attention instantly. Also, animated effects will emphasize the information you want to convey to the spectators.

• Drawing tools are must

By using drawing tools and different shapes & arrows, you can emphasize the particular graph-section which you think needs to be focused. 

Make a smart move in your business, create an interactive presentation, show your data & analytics through our graph templates to impress the viewers instantly. And yes, do not miss out on reading the ways explained in the blog which will definitely help in making your presentation stand out!

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How To Improve Your Presentations With Charts and Graphs

Create beautiful charts & infographics get started, 09.09.2015 by roberts.

By Marco Bertolini

People often ask me why they should add infographics to their presentations.  And if so, how to do it properly.  Here are some tips on “how to use data and infographics in your presentations”.

You are sitting in the meeting room of your company.   And one of your colleagues is showing his presentation.  A huge collection of slides filled up to the rafters with raw data; an everlasting series of screenshots of Excel sheets.  After half an hour of this inhuman treatment your brain is blown up and you hardly remember your family name.

Does that ring a bell?  Yes, a frightening number of corporate presentations still look exactly like that…

So, how can you improve your own presentation and spare your audience an agonizing experience?

Two channels for your presentations

Before – it already sounds like a century ago – there was no Internet and the only way to show your presentations was orally.  You stood on a stage and you started talking to your audience.  And you showed them your visual presentation (mostly PowerPoint).

Today, the most popular presentations are shown on the Internet; on social websites like SlideShare and in social media.

That makes a huge difference.

If you are on stage, then YOU are the main attraction: you are the speaker.  And the presentation is a mere visual support meant to strengthen your message.

And there’s a rule about that:

“If your visual support says the same thing as you do, then one of you is can be spared… and I hope it’s not you…”

That means: your visual support must be complement what you say.  Not substitute it or say the same thing.

If your presentation is distributed on the Net, it is a standalone, it must be self-sufficient: your text and pictures need to be understood by themselves. Therefore, you can afford to add a bit more of info to your presentation, or you can add a soundtrack to your PowerPoint (SlideShare allows you to add MP3 files to your presentations).

Let us assume your presentation is the visual support of an oral speech

I belong to the same school as Dan Roam when it comes to presentations. And I really think the best way to make a striking presentation is to tell a story .  And to tell it with pictures .

Most presentations don’t tell a story.  And sometimes, you are ordered to make a simple report …and that leads to boring presentations…

So, how do I create report presentations that are not too boring?

You can avoid to some extent the main traps of a boring report presentation (and preserve the brain cells of your audience), following these tips:

• Make it a sequence of questions.  According to Dan Roam, six questions are enough and should guide you as to what kind of images you should use. Here is a mindmap which summarizes the questions and the types of pictures you can use to illustrate your presentations.

Infographics are concerned with three types of questions:

• when : make a timeline, use a graph with lines to show the evolution of your company, of your sales, and so on.
• how much/how many : here, histograms (bars and columns) are king. Especially if you have to make comparisons. Our eyes are pretty good at comparing lengths but very bad at comparing surfaces (like bubbles and round surfaces)
• where : use geographic maps, accompanied with legends, labels and other visual features
• who and what are better illustrated with pictures of people and objects
• how is better understood through flowcharts and concept mapsAn example : you want to tell the story of your department. Start with the question of “why”. Then go on with the “when”, the “how much”, and so on. And illustrate each point with beautiful pictures and graphs instead of unpalatable columns of numbers.
• Try to humanize your data .Nobody falls in love with an Excel sheet or with a parade of dry figures.If you have to talk about raw data, at least, try to humanize them.Showing graphs is a way to relieve your audience : the brain processes visual signals 60,000  times faster than words (no, there is no mistake here : you really read 60,000!).So take advantage of that impressive feature of the brain and use graphs and infographics.Human brains are also bad at visualizing huge numbers.  If you have to speak about data involving 7 figure numbers, for instance, try to scale them down.An example: each year, 8,000,000 people die of cancer.  It is a huge number.  But it is a very abstract one; how can you mentally visualize 8,000,000 people?  Simple; you cannot!Scale it down to the duration of your presentation: “I am going to talk to you for the next 20 minutes. And during that time, 305 human beings will die of cancer”.305 is an human scale number; you can make a mental representation of that kind of a number.  And you can feel involved in that reality, simply because you can have a mental representation of it.At the same time, you can show your audience a graph with the real numbers.  That will help them measure the real scale of your facts while feeling empathy with the 305 people you are talking about.Another way to humanize your data is to relate the figures to your audience.   Let’s say your number is about 250.   If you are talking to an audience of 1.000 people, you can tell them that, during your speech, a group of human beings, about one quarter of the audience, will be concerned with the kind of fact you are talking about.How could someone not to feel involved in such a way?
• Storytelling and data storytelling  Storytelling is about people and the way they struggle with each other or with things.It is not about data.When you make a presentation, you have to keep that in mind.  If you choose to use storytelling techniques, your presentation will be primarily about human beings and their relationships with each other or with the world.Your data is just there to support the story, the succession of events, the way the hero of your story cope with his enemies.If you use graphs and infographics, bear in mind they have to be at the service of your story, not the other way round.It is also very important to put your data in context.  As a presenter, you have to preserve the integrity of your data: you have to make them accessible to your audience, but never oversimplify them.  An oversimplification often means a distortion of your data.Talking of distortion, beware of software that provide beautiful 3D effects.  A pie graph in 3D can give a very distorted, and therefore, false visualization of the reality behind the numbers.

Which software to use with your graphs and infographics?

Finally, I’m going to discuss some options for you to create your presentations in.

Personally, I love working with Prezi .

Its zooming features allow you to pinpoint to what’s important in your graphs.  And the motion of the pictures make the whole thing very dynamic.

Unfortunately, if you use Prezi, you lose the interactivity of the Infogram infographics.

But there is a new generation of presentation applications that make it possible to present infographics while keeping their interactivity.

One of these is Bunkr . It allows you to present online and to embed various objects, such as Infogram’s charts.  Since the infographic is actually embedded in the slide, it keeps all its features intact, including the faculty to interact.

SlideDog is another option, since it allows you to mix up views from different sources (PowerPoint, PDF files and web pages).

I hope this article somewhat tickled your creative bone  and you feel like trying some graphs and infographics in your next presentation.

Marco Bertolini has been an educator since 1989. He trains students, managers and other trainers with mind mapping and visual thinking. Being interested in data visualization and storytelling Marco runs workshops on how to use data visualization for presentations. Blogger in French and English, Marco is also a radio chronicler about the Web 2.0, social media, digital marketing and data visualization. Marco has recently joined Infogram Ambassador Network . Watch the replay from his share session:

Would you like to experience the full power of  data visualization ? Try Infogram for Teams or Enterprise for free! With a Team or Enterprise account, you can create up to 10,000+ projects, collaborate with your team in real time, use our engagement analytics feature, and more. Request your free demo  here .

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33 Things you should know when designing charts in PowerPoint

When was the last time you presented a document or gave a presentation without having to show some numbers?

I bet most of your presentations have some numbers and you probably used charts for presenting them.

Charts can be easily created in PowerPoint, but to give your presentation an edge you need to work on your charts a little.

So, what you should do when designing charts in PowerPoint?

15 Ways of Visualizing Corporate PowerPoint Slides for Presentations .

Charts are commonly used for data visualization. But are you formatting them the right way?

Here are some simple yet effective pointers to design charts in PowerPoint. You can apply these rights away to make your data presentable.

1. Round off decimal numbers in your graph

When calculating figures and plotting graphs, use decimal places for accuracy.

However, while labeling your chart, round off the numbers to one or two digits. This will help your reader comprehend your chart easily.

For example,  2.854  may be more precise than  2.9 , but it distracts the reader and takes away from the visual impact of the chart.

2. Keep your chart titles specific

The chart tiles don’t necessarily have to tell the story of the chart. Just be specific. To the point. You will be explaining the rest anyway.

3. Narrow bars

Vertical bars measure discrete quantities. When the bars are too narrow, your eyes focus on the negative space, the space between the bars which carries no data.

Ensure your bars are well spaced, creating a balance.

4. Do not use shades or patterns in simple bar charts

Since all the bars measure the same variable, different shades or patterns have no relevance, they only distract readers from comparing the bars.

It is best to use one simple shade and color to present the chart and avoid distraction.

5. Avoid 3D effects in bar charts

Where is the top of the bar?

Three- dimensional vertical bars are flat out wrong. The reader is left to guess where the top of the bar meets the grid. Rendering the bars in 3D adds no information, but may bring in confusion.

Keep it simple; don’t use any chart effects like the 3D effect or patterns, etc., when you are creating bar charts.

6. Avoid special effects unless they help comprehension

Why would you want to add effects like the one you see above?

Using effects just to add variety to the visuals can be distracting. It can make your data difficult to read. Keep it simple and easy to read.

7. Keep the typography simple

Don’t permit typography with extra effects to oppress the underlying data.

Keep the typography simple. The headline can be either bold or in larger font size than the font size used in the graph.

8. Use colors to help to understand your chart/graph

Do not apply the same color to both positive and negative bars. It will lead to misinterpretation of the concept of the graph.

Red is mainly used to denote negative values. So, the color itself conveys a message. That is the right way to use color.

9. Avoid multiple colors

10. Include clear information on the graph

Do not leave the graph on a slide without labeling the data. This will lead to confusion.

Add essential information on the graph. Use the information that will help the audience understand the graph better, but do not go overboard with the information.

11. Use suitable highlights in a bar chart

Do not highlight the bars with a pattern fill, shape fill, image fill, or anything that comes as a default.

It might come out looking bizarre, just like the example here.

Highlight the bars with a contrast color (red is a common color). This will make the data easy to understand.

12. Avoid Bevel effect in bar charts

Do not use unnecessary effects, such as the Bevel effect, in the chart. Keep the chart as simple as possible so that it will give the audience a clear idea of what the bars are depicting.

13. Align graph direction with data values

Never plot horizontal bars with negative values on the right side of the size zero line, even if there are no positive numbers in the data set.

Negative numbers in a graph should always be on the left side of Y-axis. Negative bars can be red in color for added emphasis.

How to Visualize Charts for Corporate Presentations the Right Way: A Step-by-Step Guide .

14. Keep Axis labels at a readable angle

Do not rotate the axis as shown in the image below.

For easy visibility, if there is a lot of text in the axis label, make sure you always rotate the labels to 270o or 90o.

15. Start Y axis with zero

For bar charts, the numerical Y-axis must start at zero. Our eyes are very sensitive to the area of bars, and we draw inaccurate conclusions when those bars are truncated.

16. Keep your charts free of clutter

Keep charts simple. One way to simplify charts is by removing extra elements, like borders, gridlines, decimal numbers, etc.

17. Try horizontal bar charts to fit long labels

To increase readability for bar graphs that have multiple categories with long names, horizontal bar graphs can be used.

18. Format Y-axis values to include the largest data point

Make sure that your data does not overflow but falls under the x-axis.

Look at the last bar (highlighted in red) in the image below. The bar is out of the chart area because the data is more than the Y-axis. Always make sure you reset the Y-axis from the format axis option.

19. Keep bar heights optimal

In the figure, the UK bar is too high and hard to compare with the rest of the countries.

Adjust the bar height manually and add a breaking symbol on top of the bar.

20. Label data in pie charts according to the size of the chart

Do not place the data labels outside a pie graph. If the pie chart is big, the chart will look empty.

21. Keep special effects to a minimum in complex pie charts

Do not add too many effects to complex pie charts.

22. Opt for solid fill to highlight sections in pie charts

Do not highlight a section of a chart with an outline. This does not make the section stand out well.

23. Use legends if you have too many data labels

Don’t overload the chart with information.

You can add just the data labels and add a legend for the categories, to make the chart look clean.

24. Place data logically

Segments chart clockwise from smallest to largest.

25. Maintain the bar graph height according to the numbers.

Always use actual graphs instead of graph-like shapes.

26. Use suitable background images

Unsuitable background images can be distracting.

27. Use color schemes that enhance visibility

Your focus should always be on the message you want to share. Dark background for a dark-colored graph will dilute the intensity of the data or message and will affect the visibility and/or clarity.

28. Use highlights based on information be conveyed

Highlights in a line chart will depend upon the information that is to be conveyed. In the example here, Portland is highlighted since it has the highest value. To ensure that your highlight stands out, have lighter shades for the other data. If you do not have to highlight, then make them all grey but use different shades. However, it all depends on the type of information that you want to show.

29. Make comparison apparent

Notice that the chart above is a comparison between 2015 and 2016 and that even though the data points in 2016 are higher than in 2015, still 2015 looks greater than in 2016. That gives the wrong message to the reader/audience.

To ensure that such mistakes do not happen, make sure that you always set the Y-axis to the same value so that the difference is apparent at first glance.

30. Use colors judiciously

A multitude of colors can confuse readers.

The effect would be easy on the eye and also make comparison easy.

31. Use appropriate shapes in a flow chart

In a flow chart, do not use the same type of shapes for each section.

32. Use the right fit to represent percentages

In the figure, the shapes have been given heights at random. The height of the shapes does not align with the data points (percentages, in this case) that they represent.

33. Don’t let pictures overpower data

The picture superiority effect refers to the phenomenon in which pictures and images are more likely to be remembered than words.

Designing charts can be difficult when a lot of data is involved. But by using the  minimalist design concept, in a presentation, you strike a balance between your charts and content.

Here is how to Use Think-Cell for Visualizing Charts Effectively .

Are you looking for better ways to design your charts? Leave a comment below.

Maybe you do not need a lead-in sentence here? If so just remove it. Maybe this will just appear as a link in the middle of the post.

Related posts:

• Quick Guide to Using New Chart Types in Office 2016
• Visualization Ideas Using PowerPoint Design Elements
• How to Use Think-Cell for Visualizing Charts Effectively
• How to Create Amazing Charts using Think-Cell?

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• Slidesgo School
• Presentation Tips

How to Modify a Graph in Our Templates

One of the advantages of using Slidesgo templates is that they include editable graphs. This makes it easier for you to edit and customize the presentation and you will not waste time thinking about how to represent your data.

If you would like to edit these charts easily and get the most out of them, in this tutorial we will show you how to do it step by step.

Access the spreadsheet of the graph

Modify the data of the graph, paste the new chart on the slide.

Before starting, you should know that these graphs are created from data entered in a spreadsheet. In our case, the spreadsheet is created in Google Sheets, which, like Google Slides, is part of the Google suite and therefore allows this interactivity.

First , open one of our templates and locate a slide in which there is a chart. If you click on it, you will get a small pop-up window that tells you which document it is linked to (in the case of our templates, a Google Sheets file).  

To access this spreadsheet, click on its name in the pop-up window. If you are using PowerPoint, you will need to hold down Ctrl (or Cmd) and click on the chart. You will be asked if you want to make a copy of the file. Click "Make a copy" to generate it.

Note: Keep in mind that, if the graph you see does not correspond to the one on the slide, it may be on the second sheet (or on any of the others, if there are more). Click on the sheets at the bottom until you find the desired graph.

Now that you are in the spreadsheet, you will see some data, which will vary depending on the Slidesgo template you are working with. As a general rule, in most of them you will find some numbers (which are the ones that give shape to the elements of the chart).  

Here you can make all kinds of modifications according to your needs. For example, you can change these values to those that fit what you want to represent. The best thing is that, whenever you make any changes, the graph is automatically updated in the spreadsheet.

You can also choose another type of chart. To do this, select it, click on the ellipsis and choose "Edit chart". A panel will appear on the right, from which you can make all kinds of adjustments.

For example, in the "Setup" tab, you can click on the "Chart type" drop-down arrow and select the one you prefer.

Another thing you can do is to change the colors of the elements. Just click on the "Customize" tab, then drop down the "Series" section, choose which element to change from the selector and, finally, choose the color you like best.

You can also resize the chart to make it larger or smaller. This will help you to better fit the space you have on the slide. Simply select the chart and drag one of the handles in the selection box.  

This is just a small sample of what can be done with a chart. Go ahead and experiment on your own!

Once you have finished making all the necessary modifications, all that remains is to paste the chart on the slide again.

The procedure is very simple. First, delete the chart that is already present. Then, select the new chart in the spreadsheet, copy it by pressing Ctrl + C (or Cmd + C), return to the slide and paste it by pressing Ctrl + V (or Cmd + V).

You will be offered two options. "Link to spreadsheet" means that it will be linked to the spreadsheet, so any subsequent modifications you make to that file can be transferred directly to the presentation by clicking the "Update" button that will appear in the upper right corner of the chart.

The second option , "Paste unlinked", allows you to simply insert the chart, without the possibility of automatically updating it. The disadvantage is that any modification you want to make afterwards will require you to copy and paste the resulting chart into the slide once again. However, the advantage is that you avoid possible accidental changes.

Note : If you are using PowerPoint, these linking options will not appear, as this software is not owned by Google.

If, on the other hand, you want to learn how to create a chart from scratch, we have this tutorial for PowerPoint and this one to create a chart in Google Slides.

All set? Give it a try in one of our Google Slides and PowerPoint presentations . Check out our collection and get the inspiration you need!

Do you find this article useful?

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How to Change Slides Orientation in Google Slides

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With this PowerPoint template, you’ll get a mix of several different types of charts for your marketing and research presentations. There are pi...

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FAQs About Chart & Graph Presentation Templates

What are chart & graph presentation templates.

Chart & Graph Presentation Templates are pre-designed layouts for visualizing data and information in a presentation setting. They are customized to depict different types of data structures, such as bar graphs, line graphs, pie charts, etc., in a clear, professional, and attractive manner.

These templates can range from stylized to basic, depending on your needs. They can be edited to suit your specific data and presentation style, offering a streamlined way to organized data for presentations, reports, and projects.

Where can I find Chart & Graph Presentation Templates?

There are many online platforms that offer a variety of Chart & Graph Presentation Templates. Sites like Microsoft Office, Canva, and SlidesGo offer many options to choose from. Some of these platforms allow individuals to have access to a certain number of free templates while others may charge for premium designs.

Most of these websites require a user account for download and editing purposes. Once you've signed up, you can browse multiple categories and choose the templates that best fit your presentation needs.

Can I customize Chart & Graph Presentation Templates?

Yes, one of the key features of Chart & Graph Presentation Templates is that they are customizable. You can insert your own data, adjust colors, text sizes, fonts, and other visual elements to match your presentation's overall theme or your company's branding.

The ability to customize these templates allows for flexibility and personalization, which can help your charts and graphs stand out and effectively deliver your message.

Are there different types of Chart & Graph Presentation Templates?

Yes, there are numerous types of Chart & Graph Presentation Templates available. They can vary greatly depending on the data or information you want to represent. For example, there are templates specifically designed for line graphs, bar graphs, pie charts, scatter plots, histogram, or combination charts, among others.

There are also different styles available, ranging from minimalistic and professional to vibrant and creative templates. This allows you to choose templates that match the tone and nature of your presentation.

Why should I use Chart & Graph Presentation Templates?

Chart & Graph Presentation Templates can help you save a significant amount of time when trying to visually represent data or information. Instead of creating a chart from scratch, you can use these templates and simply input your data. These tools make the creation of complex charts much more accessible.

Additionally, these templates are designed by professionals and can add a polished look to your presentation. This can leave a better impression on your audience and help them better understand the data you are presenting.

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How to Create Slides That Suit Your Superiors: 11 Tips

When you’re pitching ideas or budgets to execs in your organization, you need to deliver slides that fit those particular people just right. This checklist identifies the key considerations.

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I recently interviewed 20 of my customers, all in senior roles at Fortune 100 companies, and asked them their biggest pain point in presenting to higher-ups and even colleagues. What I heard consistently was that it can feel like Goldilocks bouncing from one option to the next, testing to figure out what’s “just right.” Does the audience want deep reports? Sparse slides? Something in between? Like … what?

Teams often come to presentation meetings with vast amounts of backup content just in case an exec wants to take a deep dive on any given point. There’s often a struggle to anticipate every direction attendees might want to go. It’s frustrating, and it’s not efficient.

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There are many ways to build slides. I’m not just talking about crafting them well versus poorly. I’m talking about all of the important decisions regarding how to organize them, how much text to use, when to lean into a chart, the best ways to use bullets and color, and whether to include an appendix with additional information. Before you make your next proposal or request of the executive team, use this list of 11 tips for your next set of slides as a guide.

Four Things You Must Have in Every Exec’s Slides

Before we drill down into the harder aspects, the ones where your executives’ tastes may vary widely, let’s quickly cover four aspects that you can consider the building blocks — the basics you should never proceed without.

Start with an executive summary. Begin the slide deck with a tight executive summary that follows a three-act structure. First, start with stating the current realities. Second, clearly state the problem or opportunity your idea addresses and its potential impact. Third, explain how your recommendation solves the problem or exploits the opportunity and the next steps you’re proposing.

Have a logical organization. The arc of the deck — the package from beginning to end — should make sense. If your audience reads only the headline of every slide, the order should be coherent and make most of the case for you. The content below each slide’s headline must support the statement made in the title. Remove everything that doesn’t support your point; as writers will tell you, you sometimes need to “kill your darlings” when you’re editing.

Begin the slide deck with a tight executive summary that follows a three-act structure.

Make it skimmable. Help your audience to quickly grasp the point without getting bogged down in details. Create a clear visual hierarchy. Guide the reader’s eye through the content: Use bold headings, bullet points, and numbered lists to break down information into digestible pieces. Highlight key takeaways or conclusions in a different color or font size to draw attention to these critical points.

Focus on concise insights. Succinct statements with clear insights are everyone’s jam. Every slide should serve a purpose and contribute directly to the decision-making process. Distill complex information. Don’t use 100 words when 20 words will nail it. If you’re having difficulty trimming, consider using company-approved AI tools to help you take out the fluff.

Five Preferences to Confirm With the Person You Want to Reach

Now we’ll delve into what your particular audience does and does not want. If you haven’t yet, start by asking the person you’re presenting to what they generally prefer. They probably know themselves well but have not been asked to articulate how they like to receive information.

Ask how dense is too dense. Some executives prefer detailed slides with comprehensive data. Others favor a more high-level approach. You’re weighing how to balance informative content with readability, ensuring that slides are not overloaded yet are sufficiently detailed to support decision-making.

Confirm the delivery format and timing. Some execs like information presented to them. Others prefer a pre-read of the material followed by a discussion. I always recommend our tool Slidedocs (I’ve written a free e-book on them), which are visual documents using both words and images. The templates help presenters organize their thoughts into a document for a pre-read or a read-along. They are designed to be skimmable and able to travel through your organization without the help of a presenter.

I’m a huge fan of pre-reads and prefer to use my time in meetings to ask questions and build alignment. If your audience didn’t review your material in advance, ask at the top of the meeting whether they would like you to present it or would prefer to read through it and then discuss it.

Find out how much data visualization they prefer. Charts, graphs, photos, and illustrations often communicate complex data more clearly than words alone. When execs can see what you’re saying, they often can better understand the impact of your idea. Does the exec want to understand exact numbers? Bar charts allow them to move their eyes across a series of specifics. Does the exec want to know the shape of a trend over time? Line charts can show the pattern. (See “Classic Charts Communicate Data Quickly.”) Some prefer charts with annotations that draw attention to what you think is the most important point. Others want to make their own conclusions from the data.

One of my clients, the CEO of a massive commercial real estate company, doesn’t want anything visualized. He prefers numbers, only in a table, and only in two colors — black and red. You might think this is archaic. But the fact that he’s clear to his teams about what he wants takes all the mystery out of how to communicate with him.

When the stakes are high, have a conceptual thinker help with diagrams and concepts. If you don’t have one on your team, and when it’s high stakes, find an internal designer to help you or hire one. You can’t afford to have the baby (your idea) thrown out with the bathwater (terrible slides).

Identify which details need spelling out. How well do the people you’re presenting to know the landscape and function of the company and products you’re talking about? For example, if your engineering team threw a slide into a deck about an issue that requires executive approval, do the execs all speak geek? Or do you need to explain the technology so that they will really understand the ask? Either eliminate internal jargon and acronyms or unpack those bits, especially if your proposal deeply involves expertise outside of the executives’ domain.

Ask whether appendices will be useful. When you’re organizing a presentation, you often troll data, read through complicated reports, and even hire external experts to figure out what’s best for the company. Do your execs want access to that supporting data? You can add a document to the end of the presentation as an appendix to show all of the data and source material. This allows the main content of the slides to remain focused and accessible while still providing comprehensive background information for those who want more.

Two Tips to Improve Your Presentation Skills

Getting materials in place is the biggest step. They will be your best tools for selling your ideas. But there are two extra areas to pay attention to as a presenter: how you handle questions and how you use every experience to improve.

Anticipate questions, and practice your answers. Before you have your meeting, gather a small team to challenge every point you make. Invite colleagues you trust to role-play as “a rapidly inquisitive exec” or “the doubting naysayer exec” so you are prepared to present your idea well. They’re gonna grill you, and practicing will help you remain unruffled when it happens.

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Ask for feedback after the presentation. Establish a feedback loop with those you presented to. Ask what worked well and how you can improve. If attendees don’t have the time, find people who have had their ideas funded and talk to them about what they did that worked. Advice and some perspective will help you nail your performance even better next time.

Empathetically understanding your audience members and how they process information, whether it’s executives or peers, sets up your ideas for success. Clarity creates efficiency. When a presentation fits just right, you’ve given your great thinking the best chance of moving through your organization and having maximum impact.

About the Author

Nancy Duarte is CEO of Duarte Inc. , a communication company in the Silicon Valley. She’s the author of six books, including DataStory: Explain Data and Inspire Action Through Story (Ideapress Publishing, 2019).

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How to Make a “Good” Presentation “Great”

• Guy Kawasaki

Remember: Less is more.

A strong presentation is so much more than information pasted onto a series of slides with fancy backgrounds. Whether you’re pitching an idea, reporting market research, or sharing something else, a great presentation can give you a competitive advantage, and be a powerful tool when aiming to persuade, educate, or inspire others. Here are some unique elements that make a presentation stand out.

• Fonts: Sans Serif fonts such as Helvetica or Arial are preferred for their clean lines, which make them easy to digest at various sizes and distances. Limit the number of font styles to two: one for headings and another for body text, to avoid visual confusion or distractions.
• Colors: Colors can evoke emotions and highlight critical points, but their overuse can lead to a cluttered and confusing presentation. A limited palette of two to three main colors, complemented by a simple background, can help you draw attention to key elements without overwhelming the audience.
• Pictures: Pictures can communicate complex ideas quickly and memorably but choosing the right images is key. Images or pictures should be big (perhaps 20-25% of the page), bold, and have a clear purpose that complements the slide’s text.
• Layout: Don’t overcrowd your slides with too much information. When in doubt, adhere to the principle of simplicity, and aim for a clean and uncluttered layout with plenty of white space around text and images. Think phrases and bullets, not sentences.

As an intern or early career professional, chances are that you’ll be tasked with making or giving a presentation in the near future. Whether you’re pitching an idea, reporting market research, or sharing something else, a great presentation can give you a competitive advantage, and be a powerful tool when aiming to persuade, educate, or inspire others.

• Guy Kawasaki is the chief evangelist at Canva and was the former chief evangelist at Apple. Guy is the author of 16 books including Think Remarkable : 9 Paths to Transform Your Life and Make a Difference.

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Tips and phrases for explaining graphs

Do you have to explain graphs for your work or study?

There are many situations where you might have to explain graphs.  It may be for a business meeting or report.  It may be for a presentation or a research paper.  You also often have to describe or listen to talks about graphs in language tests (eg. IELTS writing task 1). Being able to explain a graph clearly and accurately in English is certainly a useful skill to have.

So, what’s important when explaining graphs?

Below are a few quick tips and phrases that can help listeners and readers understand your graphs.

Clearly introduce graph Be sure to clearly introduce the title or topic at the beginning. Start by using phrases like “This graph shows….” Also, if you’re explaining your graph in a presentation, it’s a good idea to introduce the key labels (eg. axes and units) before talking about the data. Use phrases like “The y axis shows…”, “The x axis shows…”, and “The units here are…”

Keep language simple Remember, the aim is to help people understand your graph, not to make long, complex sentences. Keep your language simple. Try to avoid unnecessarily repeating words. One way to do this is to use pronouns eg. “Weekly expenses increased to $10,000 in January. Then, they remained steady until June.” Another way is to use words like “respectively” eg. “The values for May and June were 350 and 430 respectively .”

Continued below

Mark key points Make sure the listeners are clear about the key points you want to say about your graph. Highlight these points using words like “Importantly…”, “Significantly…”, or “Interestingly….”

Use pointing effectively If you are explaining the graph in a presentation, you will probably show a large picture of the graph on a slide.   Help the listeners by pointing to the relevant parts while talking.  When pointing, use language like “As you can see here”, “Here you can see” or even just “Here.”

Use hedging After talking about the data, you often need to interpret or speculate about what it means.  Your ideas may not always be correct, so it’s a good idea to hedge your language.  Use phrases like “This data suggests …”, “This could mean…”, or “This might be because….”

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10 Design Tips to Create Beautiful Excel Charts and Graphs in 2021

Updated: August 11, 2022

Published: September 24, 2015

It's really tempting to let terrible Excel graphs creep into your marketing. Your boss doesn't care about little things like how graphs look, right? And whatever Excel comes up with as the default is probably fine ... right?

Not really. You're using data to spur action. Maybe you pull data to convince your boss to adopt inbound marketing , give you an extra sliver of budget, or adjust your team's strategy -- among other things. Regardless of what you use data for, you need it to be convincing -- and if you display data poorly, the meaning of your data is more likely to get lost.

Note: I'm using Excel for Mac 2011. If you're using another version or operating system, implementing the following tips may look different. 

Free Excel Graph Templates

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• Simple, customizable graph designs.
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• Templates for two, three, four, and five-variable graph templates.

You're all set!

Click this link to access this resource at any time.

Excel Design Tricks for Sprucing Up Ugly Charts and Graphs in Microsoft Excel

1) pick the right graph..

Before you start tweaking design elements, you need to know that your data is displayed in the optimal format. Bar, pie, and line charts all tell different stories about your data -- you need to choose the best one to tell the story you want.

Bar graphs and pie graphs help you compare categories. Pie graphs usually compare parts of a whole, while bar graphs can compare pretty much anything ... which means it's often best to just use a bar graph. Bar graphs are easier to read and highlight incremental differences between categories, so they're a good go-to. Pie graphs are best used when one of the categories is way larger than the other.

Want to see the difference? Here's an example of the same data set displayed as a pie graph and a bar graph:

Image Credit: Wikimedia

Line charts, which look kind of like a horizontal version of bar charts, help you display a changing trend over time. You can track multiple values over that time, but the key to a line chart is the time component.

To turn your data into one of these charts in Excel, highlight the data you want to morph into a chart, then choose "Charts" in the top navigation (or select "Insert" > "Charts" if you have a different version). Then choose the chart most appropriate for your data.

2) Sort bar graph data so it's intuitive.

If you're using a bar graph to display your data, this tip can make a big difference. Most bar graphs look like this:

Image Credit: Search Engine Land

They're kinda random. You spend just a fraction of a second too long figuring out which ones are outliers. Instead, you should reorder your data points to go from largest to smallest. Here's what that looks like: 

If your bar graph is horizontal, larger values should be at the top. If your bar graph is vertical, order them from left to right. Why? That's how people read English. (If you're presenting this data in another language where that isn't true, change up your order to better reflect reading patterns.)

To order the graphs in Excel, you'll need to sort the data from largest to smallest. Click 'Data,' choose 'Sort,' and select how you'd like to sort everything. 

3) Shorten Y-axis labels.

Long Y-axis labels, like large number values, take up a lot of space and can look a little messy, like in the chart below:

Enter the custom format code  \$0,, \m  (as shown below) and click "OK" to close.

5) Remove default line margins.

Unless you remove them from your line charts, Excel will automatically add margins before the first data point and after the last data point, as you can see on the left in the image below. But, as you can see on the right, line charts often look better without these margins:

7) Stay away from 3D effects.

This falls under the previous bullet point, but I wanted to include it as its own point because it's one of the most overused data visualization effects. 

To make data look  extra fancy, people will often make bar, line, and pie graphs 3D -- but it actually just makes the data harder to read. Because of the way the data is tilted, it gives the reader a skewed sense of what the data actually means. Since you're using data to tell a broad story, you don't want to weaken your argument due to poor design. See how different a pie chart looks when it's in 2D versus 3D?

Image Credit: visual.ly

And if you actually look at the area each section takes up on the screen, you'll see why it's easy to misinterpret 3D graphs:

To remove the 3D styling from your graphs, double-click on the bars, lines, or pie sections you'd like to change, choose "3D Format" and set "Top'"and "Bottom" to "None."

8) Delete the legend if it's not necessary.

Legends tell you information you can read easily on the graph. If you have a ton of X-axis categories or multiple data points per category, then using legends makes sense. But if you're only comparing a few data points, they can be pretty useless. So if that's the case, just delete the legend altogether.

To delete a legend in Excel, you can just double-click on the legend text box, then hit "Delete" on your keyboard:

9) Include branded colors.

The colors that come preset in Excel are pretty drab. One quick way to spruce them up is to make them your brand's colors. It's a little detail that'll make your charts look slick and clean. 

To ensure you're always using the proper brand colors, you'll need to grab the HEX color code of your brand's colors. Then, plop that code into this HEX --> RBG color converter . In Excel, double-click on the parts of your graph you'd like to change the color of. Under "Fill," choose "Color" > "More Colors."

In the popup window, select the second icon from the left with the sliders. See that little dropdown? Choose "RGB Sliders," then input the RGB numbers you found in the beginning. Voila! Perfectly on-brand colors and a gorgeous graph. 

10) Add a shaded area to a line chart.

Ever seen a line chart with a shaded area below the line? They can make your line chart stand out.

In the menu that appears, choose the first type under the "Area" category.

Then, under "Border Color," choose "Solid Fill." Under "Fill Color," choose the same  color as the line in the chart. Change your transparency to the same transparency as the border color's transparency.

Want more Excel tips? Check out these resources for learning Excel online.

Editor's note: This post was originally published in 2014, and has since been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

Don't forget to share this post!

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Your last-minute guide to Monday's total solar eclipse

A total solar eclipse will cross North America on Monday , offering millions a rare opportunity to see afternoon skies temporarily darken as the moon blocks the face of the sun.

Tune into NBC News NOW as Lester Holt hosts a two-hour special at 2 p.m. ET Monday from Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The eclipse's path fortuitously cuts across Mexico, 15 U.S. states and a small part of eastern Canada. In all other states in the continental U.S., viewers will be treated to a partial solar eclipse, with the moon appearing to take a bite out of the sun and obscuring part of its light.

Here’s everything you need to know about the rare celestial event.

What is a solar eclipse?

Solar eclipses occur when the sun, moon and Earth align. The moon passes between Earth and sun, temporarily blocking the sun’s light and casting a shadow on Earth.

A total solar eclipse is when the moon fully obscures the sun, whereas a partial solar eclipse means it blocks just a portion of the sun’s face.

Solar eclipses occur only with the new moon. Because the moon’s orbit around Earth is tilted, the three bodies don’t always line up in a way that creates an eclipse.

“Imagine if the moon’s orbit were in the plane of Earth’s orbit around the sun — if that were the case, then every new moon, you’d have a total solar eclipse and every full moon, you’d have a lunar eclipse,” Neil DeGrasse Tyson, director of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History, told NBC News. “So, because things don’t always align, it lends to the rarity of the event and the specialness of the event.”

Where and when will the eclipse be visible?

This year’s eclipse will follow a slightly wider path over more populated areas of the continental U.S. than other total solar eclipses have in the recent past.

NASA estimates that 31.6 million people live within what’s known as the path of totality, where the total solar eclipse will be visible. An additional 150 million people live within 200 miles of the path, according to the agency.

The path travels through Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. Tiny parts of Michigan and Tennessee will also be able to witness totality if conditions are clear.

After the eclipse crosses into Canada, it will pass over southern Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Cape Breton, at the eastern end of Nova Scotia.

Those outside the path of totality can still take part in the astronomical event by viewing a partial solar eclipse — visible throughout all 48 states of the contiguous U.S. — or a NASA livestream.

The timing, including how long totality lasts, depends on the location, but some spots will see the moon fully cover the sun for up to 4 minutes and 28 seconds.

Below is a list of timings for some cities along the path of totality, as  provided by NASA . A number of other resources, including NationalEclipse.com  and  TimeandDate.com , can also help people plan.

• Dallas: Partial eclipse begins at 12:23 p.m. CT and totality at 1:40 p.m.
• Little Rock, Arkansas: Partial eclipse begins at 12:33 p.m. CT and totality at 1:51 p.m.
• Cleveland: Partial eclipse begins at 1:59 p.m. ET and totality at 3:13 p.m.
• Buffalo, New York: Partial eclipse begins at 2:04 p.m. ET and totality at 3:18 p.m.
• Lancaster, New Hampshire: Partial eclipse begins at 2:16 p.m. ET and totality at 3:27 p.m.

How to safely view a solar eclipse

It is never safe to gaze directly at the sun, even when it is partly or mostly covered by the moon. Special eclipse glasses or  pinhole projectors  are required to safely view solar eclipses and prevent eye damage. Failing to take the proper precautions can result in severe eye injury,  according to NASA .

Eclipse glasses are thousands of times darker than normal sunglasses and specially made to enable wearers to look at the sun during these kinds of celestial events.

Sky-watchers should also never view any part of the sun through binoculars, telescopes or camera lenses unless they have specific solar filters attached. Eclipse glasses should not be used with these devices, as they will not provide adequate protection.

However, during the few minutes of totality, when the moon is fully blocking the sun, it is safe to look with the naked eye.

Beware of fake eclipse glasses. On legitimate pairs, the lenses should have a silver appearance on the front and be black on the inside. The manufacturer’s name and address should be clearly labeled, and they should not be torn or punctured. Check, as well, for the ISO logo and the code “IS 12312-2” printed on the inside.

If you don’t have eclipse glasses, you can make a homemade pinhole projector, which lets sunlight in through a small hole, focuses it and projects it onto a piece of paper, wall or other surface to create an image of the sun that is safe to look at. 

All you need is two pieces of white cardboard or plain white paper, aluminum foil and a pin or thumbtack. Cut a 1- to 2-inch square or rectangle out of the center of a piece of white paper or cardboard. Tape aluminum foil over that cut-out shape, then use a pin or thumbtack to poke a tiny hole in the foil.

During the eclipse, place a second piece of white paper or cardboard on the ground as a screen and hold the projector with the foil facing up and your back to the sun. Adjusting how far you hold the projector from the second piece of paper will alter the size of the image on the makeshift screen.

What to look for while viewing the total solar eclipse

For people along the path of totality, there are some fun milestones to keep track of as the total solar eclipse unfolds.

As the eclipse progresses and the sun gets thinner in the sky, it will start to get eerily dark, according to Tyson.

When the last beams of sunlight are about to become obscured, look out for the “diamond ring effect”: The sun’s atmosphere will appear as an illuminated halo, and the last light still visible will look like the diamond of a giant ring.

As the sunlight decreases even further, an effect known as Baily’s beads will be created by the moon’s rugged terrain. Tiny “beads” of light will be visible for only a few seconds around the dark moon, as the last bits of sunlight peer through the moon’s mountains and valleys.

When the moon is fully blocking the sun, it is safe to remove eclipse glasses and look at the total solar eclipse with the naked eye.

Some lucky sky-watchers may even catch a glimpse of a comet .

Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks — nicknamed the “ devil comet ” because an eruption last year left it with two distinct trails of gas and ice in the shape of devil horns — is currently visible from the Northern Hemisphere as it swings through the inner solar system.

The comet can be seen in the early evenings by gazing toward the west-northwest horizon. During the eclipse, when skies darken during totality, it may be possible to see the comet near Jupiter, but its visibility will depend on whether it’s in the middle of an outburst and thus brighter than normal.

Most likely, all eyes will be on the alignment of the moon and sun.

“Most people won’t even notice,” Tyson said. “But if you know to look, it’s there.”

When is the next solar eclipse?

The next total solar eclipse will be in 2026, but it will mostly pass over the Arctic Ocean, with some visibility in Greenland, Iceland, Portugal and northern Spain. In 2027, a total solar eclipse will be visible in Spain and a swath of northern Africa.

The next total solar eclipse visible from North America will be in 2033, but only over Alaska. Then in 2044, a total solar eclipse will cross Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, parts of Canada and Greenland.

The next total solar eclipse to cross the continental U.S. coast-to-coast in will occur in 2045. The path of totality for that eclipse will cut through California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia and Florida.

Denise Chow is a reporter for NBC News Science focused on general science and climate change.

Lucas Thompson is a content producer for the NBC News Climate Unit.

How to photograph the April 2024 solar eclipse with your smartphone

Watching the eclipse today? Here's how to get a great photo with your phone

Protect yourself first

Get a solar eclipse filter for your lens (if you have time), don't use digital zoom, take in raw if available, lock your focus and exposure, turn off your flash, use burst and timer modes, consider a video, try a tripod for greater stability.

Today is the day of the April 2024 solar eclipse , a rare opportunity to witness one of the most spectacular shows in the solar system. And if you want to make a record of the moment for yourself, we can help you use your smartphone to get the best possible shot of the moon crossing in front of the sun.

As the guide from our friends at Space.com explains, there's at least a partial eclipse to see in all 48 mainland states between 12:27 pm and 3:46 pm EDT today, with the best view — the "path of totality" — on offer in a diagonal line passing from the south to the north east of the country, where the sun will be completely blocked for a few moments.

The tips below are a mix of practical and safety tips, since it's not worth sacrificing your eyesight just for a photo. But with some protection in place, there are some accessories and settings you can use to get the most out of your smartphone's cameras as the skies start to darken.

Before even picking up your phone, make sure to keep your eyes safe first and foremost. We have a guide on where to buy solar eclipse glasses if you're still without, and look out for the ISO 12312-2 standard rating so you know you're properly shielded from the sun's light, whether directly or via your phone's viewfinder.

Your phone's cameras, like your eyes, needs some special treatment of their own to keep them safe. In fact NASA recommends not pointing your phone at the eclipse without one , lest you damage the sensors within. You can use a spare pair of eclipse-viewing glasses in a pinch, but it would be better to use a dedicated filter like the one recommended by my colleague John Velasco in his feature on preparing to take a camera phone shot of the eclipse .

VisiSilar Smartphone Solar Eclipse Lens:  <a href="https://target.georiot.com/Proxy.ashx?tsid=45724&GR_URL=https%3A%2F%2Famazon.com%2Fdp%2FB0CF2NNXTX%3Ftag%3Dhawk-future-20%26ascsubtag%3Dhawk-custom-tracking-20" data-link-merchant="Amazon US"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"> was $8 now $6 @ Amazon This solar eclipse lens is made specifically to go over your phone's camera, resulting in a more detailed capture of the upcoming solar eclipse. It can go over all of the cameras as well, allowing you to switch over to the telephoto one to get even closer photos of the solar eclipse.

You may be tempted to pinch-to-zoom to get the eclipse as large as possible on your phone's viewfinder, but this likely won't result in a better shot since this form of digital zoom reduces the resolution and overall quality of your image. An optical zoom telephoto camera, found on many recent flagship phones, won't have this problem, but no phone on sale today's going to be able to get a frame-filling shot of the eclipse with optical zoom alone. 

As such, it's worth considering taking shots with your main camera or wide angle camera instead, so you can capture your friends, family and immediate surroundings as the eclipse appears overhead.

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On the topic of photo quality, RAW format images take in much more information than a standard JPEG or HEIC image, making it easier to improve the photo in editing later. Your phone's default camera app may already offer a RAW mode, but if it doesn't see if a third-party camera app will give you the option instead.

So that your phone doesn't get confused by another object in frame and make the actual eclipse blurry, tap and hold on the sun in your camera app to focus and stay focused on it. After that, you can select your exposure level to account for the dramatic lighting conditions you're about to experience, and lock that too if needed.

Even when it gets dark, your phone's camera flash isn't going to help take a better photo of something far off in the sky like the eclipse. You may want to try night mode if you have it though, as this will help brighten up images taken during the darkest moments of the eclipse.

The totality part of the eclipse only lasts a couple of minutes, so increase your odds of snapping a shot at the perfect moment by using burst mode to take several shots in quick succession. 

You can also use the timer function to automatically do this if you don't trust your reaction speeds.

Video may be good if you're trying to capture the scene overall rather than the eclipse itself. But the motion inherent to taking video may diminish the quality that a well-aimed photo would have been able to grab.

Phones can account for some motion but to make your eclipse look as crisp as possible, hunt for a tripod, stand or other method of securing your phone in place. Failing that, find a good place to fix yourself and your arm as the eclipse draws near. Even leaning against a sturdy object could help steady your hand and make your images sharper.

We wish you all the best in your quest to capture the eclipse for posterity. But if you're not going to get the chance to see it, whether you're in another country or are just plain busy, we have guides on how to watch the April 2024 solar eclipse on screen.

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Richard is based in London, covering news, reviews and how-tos for phones, tablets, gaming, and whatever else people need advice on. Following on from his MA in Magazine Journalism at the University of Sheffield, he's also written for WIRED U.K., The Register and Creative Bloq. When not at work, he's likely thinking about how to brew the perfect cup of specialty coffee.

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