Displaying a Chart Legend

by Allen Wyatt
(last updated February 8, 2014)

1

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. If the data you are presenting in Microsoft Graph is complex, particularly if you have many data series (rows of data to chart), you may want to add a legend. Legends provide a "road map" for your chart so a reader can decipher what is included.

You can display a legend with your chart by following these steps:

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

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

  3. Make sure the Show Legend check box is selected.
  4. Using the radio buttons in the Placement portion of the dialog box, indicate where the legend should appear in relation to the chart itself.
  5. Click your mouse on OK.

If you later want to turn off display of the legend, you can repeat the above steps, but clear the Show Legend check box, instead (step 3).

Once the legend is displayed in your chart, you can use your mouse to position it. Simply point to the legend with the mouse, hold down the mouse button, and drag the legend to where you finally want it. When you release the mouse button, Microsoft Graph places the legend in the spot where you dragged it.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (721) 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

Can't Place Merge Field in Header Of a Catalog Merge Document

Word can perform several different types of mail merge operations, and the type you choose can affect how you are able to ...

Discover More

Creating a Shortcut for Pasting Values

Excel's Paste Special command is used quite a bit. If you want to create some shortcuts for the command, here's some ways ...

Discover More

Modifying How Windows Notifies You of Impending Changes

Part of the security system built into Windows involves notifying you when changes are about to occur to your system. ...

Discover More

Learning Made Easy! Quickly teach yourself how to format, publish, and share your content using Word 2013. With Step by Step, you set the pace, building and practicing the skills you need, just when you need them! Check out Microsoft Word 2013 Step by Step today!

More WordTips (menu)

Adding a Border Around Text in a Chart

You can included text in your charts, and even place a border around the text.

Discover More

Formatting Datasheet Numbers

Controlling the appearance of numbers in a datasheet.

Discover More

Including Datasheet Rows or Columns in a Chart

Controlling which datasheet information is graphed in a chart.

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 five minus 0?

2017-05-30 01:13:29

marianne

how do you make a legend if you are not making a chart.

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.