How To Load A Chart Template In Excel

Bottom line: Learn how to apply Chart Templates in Excel to quickly use formatting and settings to new and existing charts.  Includes instructional videos.

Skill level: Beginner

Cleanup the Nautical chart Junk

The default chart formatting in Excel typically includes a lot of extra elements that aren't e'er needed for our charts.  A nicely formatted chart should include only the minimal amount of elements (legend, centrality, labels, gridlines, etc.).  This makes the nautical chart easier to read, and allows the data to tell the story.

Entire books have been written on the principles of information visualization, so I won't go into a lot of detail hither.  The main idea is that we should use a minimalist approach to creating and designing charts (graphs).  All the extra formatting is typically referred to as chart junk because it clutters up the chart and distracts the reader.

To learn more about this topic checkout the books past Edward Tufte and Stephen Few (Amazon links).  My good friend Mynda Treacy from MyOnlineTrainingHub likewise covers these principles in her Dashboards Course.

Nautical chart Templates to the Rescue

Even if you don't follow these principles, it's likely that the default nautical chart formatting doesn't match your needs.  Later on inserting a chart on a sheet, we typically take additional steps to format it.

This can exist time consuming.  My typical process to cleanup a Bar PivotChart includes a minimum of 7 steps and a total of 18+ mouse/key presses.

1. Hibernate All Field Buttons
2. Delete the Legend
3. Delete the Axis Labels
4. Delete the Gridlines
5. Add Data Labels
6. Reduce Gap Width
7. Categories in contrary order

That'due south a lot of actress piece of work and time!

Fortunately, we tin automate this process with Nautical chart Templates.  We can relieve all the formatting options and settings to a Chart Template, and so apply the template to whatsoever new or existing chart.

If you lot'd like to acquire how to create that pivot tabular array and nautical chart, checkout my free videos serial on pivot tables and dashboards for Excel.

How to Create a Chart Template

To create a Nautical chart Template:

1. Insert a chart and change the formatting to prepare information technology for presentation.
2. Right-click the chart and choose "Save as Template…".
3. The Salvage Chart Template window will open.  Name the Chart Template File.
4. Click Save.

The Chart Template volition at present exist available in the Chart Template Gallery on the Insert/Change Chart Window.

How to Apply Nautical chart Templates

Now that you have created a Chart Template, y'all tin can apply to information technology any new or existing chart.

To apply the Chart Template to a new chart:

1. Click a Nautical chart button on the Insert tab of the ribbon to open the Insert Chart window.
2. Click the Templates tab on the left sidebar.
3. You will see a gallery of your Chart Templates.  Select the one you want to employ to create the nautical chart.
4. Press OK.
5. A new nautical chart will be inserted on the sheet and all of the Template's formatting options volition exist applied.

To utilize the Chart Template to an existing chart:

1. Right-click the existing chart and choose "Modify Chart Blazon…".
2. The Change Nautical chart Type window volition open.  Click the Templates tab on the left sidebar.
3. Select the Chart Template yous want to apply.
4. Printing OK.
5. The chart blazon and formatting will be applied to the existing nautical chart.

How to Manage Chart Templates

The Chart Templates are saved every bit crtx (chart template) files to your computer.  They are typically saved in the following location on your computer.

C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Templates\Charts

You tin become to this location from the Chart Template Gallery by clicking the "Manage Templates…" button in the lesser left corner of the Insert/Change Nautical chart Window.

That opens Windows Explorer and navigates to the Chart Templates folder.  From here y'all tin add together or delete chart template files.

If you downloaded a crtx (chart template) file or received i from a co-worker, you can copy the file into this folder.  Information technology will then appear next fourth dimension you open the Template Gallery.

Download the Chart Template

You tin download the Chart Template I utilise for Bar PivotCharts beneath.

PivotChart Bar.crtx (7.8 KB)

Nautical chart Templates for Each Nautical chart Type

It'due south important to annotation that the Chart Template also includes the nautical chart blazon (bar, column, line, pie, etc.).  Then you lot will need to create a Chart Template for each chart blazon you lot use frequently.  Y'all might accept separate templates for bar, column, line, combo charts, etc.

You might also desire to create templates for different projects or reports you work on periodically.  Whatever time y'all change a chart and are happy with the results, right-click and "Save every bit Template…"  This volition make it easier to quickly use all those settings in the time to come.

Sharing Nautical chart Templates for Consistency

Another do good of Chart Templates is that you can create consequent looking charts throughout your department/team/organization.  Once you create a Nautical chart Template, yous tin can send the crtx file to everyone and accept them apply it on all their charts.  This volition ensure every nautical chart uses the same colors, fonts, formatting, etc.

The video above contains instructions on how to import a Chart Template file.  You can share this with your squad when you ship them a template file.

What practise yous use Chart Templates for?

Nautical chart Templates definitely salve us time past allowing usa to create our ain default formats.  We might take to have a few extra steps to format the chart, depending on the projection, but the template gives u.s. a adept starting signal to work with.  They as well aid create consistency inside your organization.

How practice you use Chart Templates?  Please exit a annotate below with any questions or suggestions.  Thank you! 🙂

How To Load A Chart Template In Excel,

Source: https://www.excelcampus.com/charts/chart-templates-default-formatting/

Posted by: rodriguezsument.blogspot.com

Share this post