Once you have a chart in Excel, you can easily change from one chart type to another. Just select the chart and click “change chart type” on the Design tab of the ribbon. Excel will open the change chart type window, where you can browse and select other chart types. Notice that Excel builds a preview for each type using the data you’ve specified in the existing chart. If you Hover over the image with your mouse, you’ll see a larger preview. When you find a chart type you like, just select it and click OK to confirm, or double click. The chart will immediately update. When you’re changing a chart type, pay attention to the selected tab in change chart type window. The All charts tab will show you every chart type available. The Recommended charts tab will narrow down the options considerably, and eliminate a lot of options that don’t really make sense. A faster way to change chart types, without worrying about the ribbon, is to right-click chart and select the Change Chart Type item in the menu. This brings you to the same place. If you’ve customized certain elements in your chart, these customizations will be carried into the new chart type when possible. For example, if I add data labels to this chart, and then change the chart type, they’ll carry through to the new chart. One last note, if you want to convert a chart to a Combo chart, you’ll find the Combo chart option at the bottom of the All charts tab. We’ll look at Combo charts in more detail in an upcoming video.
Dave Bruns
Hi - I’m Dave Bruns, and I run Exceljet with my wife, Lisa. Our goal is to help you work faster in Excel. We create short videos, and clear examples of formulas, functions, pivot tables, conditional formatting, and charts.
