Primary contents

Creating Precise, Logical Documents - Using Colour in Microsoft Execl -

Graphs and Colours:Part 1 - Purposes and Effectiveness of Different Graph Types -

Graphs and Colours:Part 2 - Hints for Using Colours in Graphs -

Microsoft Excel is widely used for creating documents containing tables and graphs.
It allows the user to create documents quickly and accurately.
This section presents some hints that will help you to make sure the reader can understand the data easily.

By making use of illustrations and graphs, you can make your documents more legible and more understandable. In addition, by using colours effectively in them, you can not only enhance your ability to communicate with readers, but increase your power of persuasion as well. Below, we explain how to turn your tables into powerful graphs that really communicate.

It is essential to select the correct type of graph for the type of data to be presented. By matching the graph characteristics to the application, you can ensure that the information you wish to convey is presented accurately.

*Column graphs, Bar graphs

Column graphs, bar graphs, and column and bar graphs with a cylindrical, conical, or pyramid shape are used to compare the amounts of different items. Column and bar graphs can also be "stacked" to compare the sum totals of different series.

*Line graphs, Area graphs

Line graphs and area graphs are used to show changes in data over time. Area graphs are particularly effective for emphasising the sum totals of different series.