Controlling Chart Gridlines

by Allen Wyatt
(last updated June 14, 2014)

Microsoft Graph is a simple graphing program provided with Word. It includes the ability to view your graph data in both spreadsheet and graph formats. The graphs you create can include gridlines, if desired. Gridlines are used in a chart to help the reader better understand the data being presented. This is particularly true with three-dimensional presentation, where it can be harder to see how chart elements precisely relate to each other. You can control the display and appearance of gridlines in this way:

  1. Select Chart Options from the Chart menu. Microsoft Graph displays the Chart Options dialog box.
  2. Make sure the Gridlines tab is selected. (See Figure 1.)

    3. Figure 1. The Gridlines tab of the Chart Options dialog box.

  3. Use the check boxes to select which gridlines are hidden or displayed. You can see the effects of your choices in the sample displayed in the dialog box.
  4. 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 (702) 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. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Format Painter Shortcut

Need a way to copy formatting using the keyboard? Word has a great one, and it doesn't involve the Format Painter or the ...

Discover More

Spellchecking an Entire Document

Google Docs includes a few tools designed to help improve your writing. One such tool is the spellchecker, which you can ...

Discover More

Adjusting Cell Alignment

To present your spreadsheet data in just the manner you want, Sheets provides tools that enable you to adjust both ...

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 2013. Spend more time working and less time trying to figure it all out! Check out Word 2013 For Dummies today!

More WordTips (menu)

Picking a Chart Type

Microsoft Chart offers several different types of charts you can use to display your data. Here's how to pick the type ...

Discover More

Deleting Datasheet Rows or Columns

How to remove information from your datasheet.

Discover More

Adding Titles to a Chart

Adding titles to either an axis or the chart as a whole can make your data easier to understand. Here's how to add this ...

Discover More
Subscribe

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

View most recent newsletter.

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

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}] 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.

What is four more than 2?

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.

Newest Tips
Subscribe

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

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.

Links and Sharing
OUR COMPANY
OUR PRODUCTS
OUR AUTHORS
OUR SITES
 

Copyright © 2018 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.