Advanced Excel Charts Tutorial: How to Create Professional-Level Graphs and Charts

Creating Dynamic Charts with Excel Tables and Named Ranges

If you want to create charts that automatically update when your data changes, you can use Excel tables and named ranges to make your life easier. In this blog post, I will show you how to do that in a few simple steps.

Step 1: Convert your data into an Excel table

Select your data range and press Ctrl+T to create a table. You can also go to the Insert tab and click on Table. Give your table a meaningful name in the Table Design tab.

Step 2: Create named ranges for your chart series

Go to the Formulas tab and click on Name Manager. Click on New to create a new named range. Give it a name that describes your chart series, such as Sales or Expenses. In the Refers to box, enter a formula that references your table column, such as =Table1[Sales] or =Table1[Expenses]. Repeat this for each series you want to plot in your chart.

Step 3: Create your chart using the named ranges

Go to the Insert tab and select the type of chart you want to create. In the Select Data dialog box, click on Add to add a new series. In the Series name box, enter the name of your named range, such as Sales or Expenses. In the Series values box, enter an equal sign (=) followed by the name of your named range, such as =Sales or =Expenses. Repeat this for each series you want to add to your chart.

You have now created a dynamic chart that will automatically update when you add or remove data from your table.

Conclusion

Excel tables and named ranges are powerful tools that can help you create dynamic charts that reflect your data changes. By using these features, you can save time and avoid errors when creating charts in Excel.

FAQs

Q: How do I change the format or style of my chart?

A: You can use the Chart Tools tabs (Design, Layout and Format) to customize your chart appearance. You can also right-click on any element of your chart and select Format from the context menu.

Q: How do I delete or rename a named range?

A: Go to the Formulas tab and click on Name Manager. Select the named range you want to delete or rename and click on Delete or Edit.

Q: How do I resize or move my chart?

A: You can use the handles around the chart area to resize it. You can also drag and drop it anywhere on your worksheet.