Making the chart fit inside the plot area?

[Mark Rice]

How can I make a chart fit the entire plot area? My column chart has a huge amount of empty space between the edge of the actual chart and the end of the plot area. Is there a way to enlarge the chart without changing the plot area? I haven't been able to stretch the walls to fit.

 

[Jon Peltier]

Mark -

A little clarification. The large box around the chart is the chart area, and in an embedded chart this is just within the chart object that sits in the worksheet. The plot area is a smaller region which includes the plotted data and the axis labels, plus a little margin. You can stretch this plot area almost to the edges of the chart area. Select it by clicking until you see "Plot Area" in the name box (above cell A1), or by using the dropdown box on the chart command bar. In most charts this shows the plot inside area selected, but resizing this actually resized the larger plot area. Resize it by dragging the black square handles, like it's any old drawing rectangle.

You mention walls in the chart. I've had less control in resizing the plot area of charts with 3D effects. In general I avoid charts with 3D effects, because it is harder to make a clear 3D chart that doesn't distort the facts being presented.

- Jon
-------
Jon Peltier, Microsoft Excel MVP
http://www.geocities.com/jonpeltier/Excel/index.html
_______

 

[Mark Rice]

Yes I'm trying to use a "3D" column chart which doesn't use all of the plot area.

 

[Jon Peltier]

Mark -

You'll have to tweak the 3D settings (rotation, inclination, etc.). Of course, I already mentioned my 3D preferences (lose a D to make it 2D). But sometimes you have to live within constraints.

- Jon
-------
Jon Peltier, Microsoft Excel MVP
http://www.geocities.com/jonpeltier/Excel/index.html
_______