Part 1 of 2:
Adding Data
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Open Microsoft Excel. It resembles a white "X" on a green background.
- If you want to create a graph from pre-existing data, instead double-click the Excel document that contains the data to open it and proceed to the next section.
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Click Blank workbook (PC) or Excel Workbook (Mac). It's in the top-left side of the template window.
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Add labels for the graph's X- and Y-axes. To do so, click the
A1 cell (X-axis) and type in a label, then do the same for the
B1 cell (Y-axis).
- For example, a graph measuring the temperature over a week's worth of days might have "Days" in A1 and "Temperature" in B1.
-
Enter data for the graph's X- and Y-axes. To do this, you'll type a number or word into the
A or
B column to apply it to the X- or Y- axis, respectively.
- For example, typing "Monday" into the A2 cell and "70" into the B2 field might show that it was 70 degrees on Monday.
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Finish entering your data. Once your data entry is complete, you're ready to use the data to create a bar graph.
Part 2 of 2:
Creating a Graph
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Select all of your data. To do so, click the
A1 cell, hold down
⇧ Shift, and then click the bottom value in the
B column. This will select all of your data.
- If your graph uses different column letters, numbers, and so on, simply remember to click the top-left cell in your data group and then click the bottom-right while holding ⇧ Shift.
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Click the Insert tab. It's at the top of the Excel window, just right of the Home tab.
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Click the "Bar chart" icon. This icon is in the "Charts" group below and to the right of the Insert tab; it resembles a series of three vertical bars.
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Click a bar graph option. The templates available to you will vary depending on your operating system and whether or not you've purchased Excel, but some popular options include the following:
- 2-D Column - Represents your data with simple, vertical bars.
- 3-D Column - Presents three-dimensional, vertical bars.
- 2-D Bar - Presents a simple graph with horizontal bars instead of vertical ones.
- 3-D Bar - Presents three-dimensional, horizontal bars.
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Customize your graph's appearance. Once you decide on a graph format, you can use the "Design" section near the top of the Excel window to select a different template, change the colors used, or change the graph type entirely.
- The "Design" window only appears when your graph is selected. To select your graph, click it.
- You can also click the graph's title to select it and then type in a new title. The title is typically at the top of the graph's window.
Sample Bar Graphs

Sample Horizontal Bar Graph

Sample Vertical Bar Graph

Sample Stacked Bar Graph
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