Think first before making a chart. Keep in mind what the message is and who
is in the audience. How is your data going to convey the information that
resides in your data?

Keep it simple. Don't use 3D effects, which obscure the data and clutter the
chart. Keep colors simple, not too garish, don't use gradients or shadow
effects, use plain white backgrounds and dark text. Just because you can use
all kinds of fancy formatting, doesn't mean you should.

Use the right chart type for the data. Use bar or column charts to show
categorical data, line charts to show time series, and XY charts to show
relationships between two variables. Don't use pie charts, which people are
trained to like but which are ineffective at showing data. Just because you
can use all kinds of funky chart types, doesn't mean you should.

- Jon
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Jon Peltier, Microsoft Excel MVP
Tutorials and Custom Solutions
http://PeltierTech.com
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"jack" wrote in message
...
how can I decorate a chart and make it look professional?