Specifying Colors in a Chart

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated September 4, 2020)

As Microsoft Graph displays your data in a graphic format, it automatically selects colors for each of the data series (rows of data) it charts. The palette from which you can select your colors consists of 56 choices. To change colors, follow these steps:

Make sure your chart is visible on the screen and you have selected it. (You do this by clicking on the chart.)
Select a data series by clicking your mouse on the graphic representation of that series. For instance, if your data is displayed as a column chart, click on the column that represents the series whose color you want to change.
Choose Selected Data Series from the Format menu. Microsoft Graph displays the Format dialog box for the selected item. The Patterns tab should be selected. (See Figure 1.)

Figure 1. The Format Data Series dialog box

In the Area portion of the dialog box you can select the color you want to use for the actual data series.
Using the Color pull-down list, you can select a color you want to use for the outline border of the data series.
Click on OK.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (685) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. Learn more about Allen...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Select All Changes By a Particular Reviewer

The Track Changes feature in Word allows you and other editors to easily collaborate on the development of a document. If ...

Discover More

Turning Off Screen Updating

Want a quick way to speed up your macros? All you need to do is to stop Excel from updating the screen while the macro is ...

Discover More

Restoring Items in the Recycle Bin

Placing something in the Recycle Bin does not mean it is gone forever. After placing something there, you may change your ...

Discover More

The First and Last Word on Word! Bestselling For Dummies author Dan Gookin puts his usual fun and friendly candor back to work to show you how to navigate Word 2019. Spend more time working and less time trying to figure it all out! Check out Word 2019 For Dummies today!

More WordTips (menu)

Controlling the Display of Chart Axes in Microsoft Graph

When you create a chart in Microsoft Graph, you might now want to see one or both of the axes included by default. Here's ...

Discover More

Including Datasheet Rows or Columns in a Chart

Controlling which datasheet information is graphed in a chart.

Discover More

Formatting Datasheet Numbers

Controlling the appearance of numbers in a datasheet.

Discover More

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

Notify me about new comments ONLY FOR THIS TIP

Notify me about new comments ANYWHERE ON THIS SITE

Hide my email address

What is six minus 5?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)

This Site

Got a version of Word that uses the menu interface (Word 97, Word 2000, Word 2002, or Word 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.