Chart Types and Labels

James Okonkwo formats BudgetChart on NorthgateBudget.xlsx with a clear title before emailing a PDF to Dr. Helen Marsh.

Different chart types answer different questions about the same B2:E6 data:

Too many pie slices are hard to read — avoid pie for all five departments at once.

Open the BudgetChart sheet. Click the chart. Chart Design tab → Chart Layouts group → Add Chart Element → Chart Title → Above Chart.

Click the title box and type Northgate Academy — Department budgets by quarter.

Double-click a chart title to edit in place — faster than the formula bar for long school names.

Chart Design → Add Chart Element → Axis Titles → Primary Vertical. Type Budget (£).

Add Chart Element → Data Labels → Outside End (optional) — shows values on each column.

With Currency format on the grid, data labels may still show plain numbers — that is fine for internal drafts.

On Budgets, select A1:E2 (English only plus headers). Insert tab → Charts → Line.

Title it English — quarterly trend via Add Chart Element → Chart Title.

Expected result: Four points connected — easy to see if spending rises or falls through the year.

English annual total is 50500 — the line should peak at Q4 (13200).

Before printing or PDF:

Remove the chart border: click chart → Format Chart Area → Border → No line.

Chart Design → Change Colors — pick a palette with strong contrast for projectors.

Resize the chart on BudgetChart so labels do not overlap.

On the five-department column chart, Chart Design → Switch Row/Column puts quarters on the X-axis and departments in the legend — sometimes clearer when you present one quarter at a time.

Do not chart A1:E6 as a pie for all departments — twenty slices become unreadable. Use Clustered Column for many categories. Reserve pie for one department's four quarters.