How to Make an Area Chart in Excel
Area Charts are Line Graphs Filled with Colors Below the Lines
Area charts can display each data set separately, like looking at several mountain ranges in the distance, or they can be stacked on top of each other to show the contribution of each data set to the whole.
Area Chart
Each Data Set Is Shown Separately
Watch for Data that may be Hidden like Plant 1
Stacked Area Chart
Data is Stacked to Show the
Contribution of Each Set to the Total
To Create an Area Chart in Excel
Just select your data, then click on the Insert Tab, then Area. There are various choices of area shapes (2-D, 3-D) and formats (area, stacked or 100% stacked.)
Consider a Pareto Chart to Analyze The Same Data
If you are just interested in the total amount each data series contributes to the whole, you can run a Pareto chart on the totals. While its possible to create pareto charts in Excel, its time consuming, complicated, and the charts don't look as nice as the ones created by QI Macros. Save yourself time and headaches by using QI Macros. Download a 30 day trial and try it now.
Ready to Take the Next Step and Up Your Excel and Data Analysis Skills?
Stop trying to make your spreadsheets easy to read. And stop using primitive line, pie and bar charts.
Instead, graduate to the power tools of quality: control charts, Pareto charts and histograms.
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Primitive Charts
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