I have Excel 2007. I want to have a gradient color for a chart. I go to
Format Chart Area and click Gradient fill and get a nice single color blue
gradient from light blue to white. I want to have a single color gradient but
with a different color. The help menu talks about gradient stops, so I tried
that, but when I use them with a different color, the blue is still on part
of the chart. I really do not understand the gradient stop business. I just
want to have a single color gradient with a color of my choice or a two-color
gradient with two colors of my choice. I used to be able to do this with ease
with Excel 2003, but can't figure out how to do it with Excel 2007. Any help
would be most welcome.

Sure, I can help you with that! Here's how you can change the gradient color in a chart for Excel 2007:

1. Select the chart that you want to modify.
2. Go to the "Format Chart Area" option by right-clicking on the chart or by clicking on the "Chart Tools" tab in the ribbon and then clicking on "Format Chart Area".
3. In the "Format Chart Area" dialog box, click on the "Fill" option.
4. Under "Fill," select "Gradient fill."
5. Click on the "Gradient stops" option to see the current gradient stops.
6. To add a new gradient stop, click on the "Add" button.
7. To remove a gradient stop, select it and click on the "Remove" button.
8. To change the color of a gradient stop, select it and then click on the "Color" dropdown menu to choose a new color.
9. To adjust the position of a gradient stop, select it and then drag it to a new position on the gradient bar.
10. To change the direction of the gradient, select the "Direction" dropdown menu and choose a new direction.
11. Once you have made all of your changes, click "OK" to apply the new gradient fill to your chart.

Do you know about Andy Pope's great add-in?
http://www.andypope.info/charts/patternfills.htm
best wsihes

--
Bernard Liengme
http://people.stfx.ca/bliengme
Microsoft Excel MVP

"NonTechie" wrote in message
...
I have Excel 2007. I want to have a gradient color for a chart. I go to
Format Chart Area and click Gradient fill and get a nice single color blue
gradient from light blue to white. I want to have a single color gradient
but
with a different color. The help menu talks about gradient stops, so I
tried
that, but when I use them with a different color, the blue is still on
part
of the chart. I really do not understand the gradient stop business. I
just
want to have a single color gradient with a color of my choice or a
two-color
gradient with two colors of my choice. I used to be able to do this with
ease
with Excel 2003, but can't figure out how to do it with Excel 2007. Any
help
would be most welcome.

Yes, I got that to put patterns on my charts, especially histograms. I don't
see where it will help me with gradients. Do you know how to solve the
problem I described?

"Bernard Liengme" wrote:

Do you know about Andy Pope's great add-in?
http://www.andypope.info/charts/patternfills.htm
best wsihes

--
Bernard Liengme
http://people.stfx.ca/bliengme
Microsoft Excel MVP

"NonTechie" wrote in message
...
I have Excel 2007. I want to have a gradient color for a chart. I go to
Format Chart Area and click Gradient fill and get a nice single color blue
gradient from light blue to white. I want to have a single color gradient
but
with a different color. The help menu talks about gradient stops, so I
tried
that, but when I use them with a different color, the blue is still on
part
of the chart. I really do not understand the gradient stop business. I
just
want to have a single color gradient with a color of my choice or a
two-color
gradient with two colors of my choice. I used to be able to do this with
ease
with Excel 2003, but can't figure out how to do it with Excel 2007. Any
help
would be most welcome.

.

Hi,

After selecting gradient you need to change the 2 stop colours.
Select Stop1 and use the Color: dropdown to change the top half of column.
Select Stop2 and use the Color: dropdown to change the bottom half of the
column

For as single colour gradient you will need to set Stop2 to plotarea colour.

Cheers
Andy
--

Andy Pope, Microsoft MVP - Excel
http://www.andypope.info
"NonTechie" wrote in message
...
I have Excel 2007. I want to have a gradient color for a chart. I go to
Format Chart Area and click Gradient fill and get a nice single color blue
gradient from light blue to white. I want to have a single color gradient
but
with a different color. The help menu talks about gradient stops, so I
tried
that, but when I use them with a different color, the blue is still on
part
of the chart. I really do not understand the gradient stop business. I
just
want to have a single color gradient with a color of my choice or a
two-color
gradient with two colors of my choice. I used to be able to do this with
ease
with Excel 2003, but can't figure out how to do it with Excel 2007. Any
help
would be most welcome.

Thanks, Andy. By the way, I really appreciate the Pattern Fills Add-In you
developed. I use it a lot.

Now, I am still stuck on the gradient. When I do what I think you said, the
defalult blue color is still in the middle. I select Stop 1 and choose a
color. That fills up the top part of the bar with the original soft blue
still in the bottom. Then I select Stop 2 and choose a color. That overwrites
the first color at the top, and the soft blue is still in the bottom of the
bar. I try different stop positions and that just seems to mix everything up.

When I try a single color, I do not find plotarea colour anywhere in the
list of colors, as you suggest. I still get a muddled mixture when I try
different stop positions.

So... I still don't know what to do to produce a gradient of a single color
of my choosing or a gradient of two colors of my choosing.

Maybe you have another add-in that "restores" Excel 2003 gradients like you
did for pattern fill.

Thanks in advance for any help.


"Andy Pope" wrote:

Hi,

After selecting gradient you need to change the 2 stop colours.
Select Stop1 and use the Color: dropdown to change the top half of column.
Select Stop2 and use the Color: dropdown to change the bottom half of the
column

For as single colour gradient you will need to set Stop2 to plotarea colour.

Cheers
Andy
--

Andy Pope, Microsoft MVP - Excel
http://www.andypope.info
"NonTechie" wrote in message
...
I have Excel 2007. I want to have a gradient color for a chart. I go to
Format Chart Area and click Gradient fill and get a nice single color blue
gradient from light blue to white. I want to have a single color gradient
but
with a different color. The help menu talks about gradient stops, so I
tried
that, but when I use them with a different color, the blue is still on
part
of the chart. I really do not understand the gradient stop business. I
just
want to have a single color gradient with a color of my choice or a
two-color
gradient with two colors of my choice. I used to be able to do this with
ease
with Excel 2003, but can't figure out how to do it with Excel 2007. Any
help
would be most welcome.

.

Hi,

First, glad you like the addin :)

Do you have the latest Office service pack installed? SP2. To check use
Office button Excel Options Resources.

You will not find a 'plotarea' colour. What I meant was use the same colour.
By default the colour is white and the default gradient is Blue + White.

If you do have SP2 and are still stuck you can me send example file to look
at.
andy AT andypoe DOT info

Cheers
Andy
--

Andy Pope, Microsoft MVP - Excel
http://www.andypope.info
"NonTechie" wrote in message
...
Thanks, Andy. By the way, I really appreciate the Pattern Fills Add-In you
developed. I use it a lot.

Now, I am still stuck on the gradient. When I do what I think you said,
the
defalult blue color is still in the middle. I select Stop 1 and choose a
color. That fills up the top part of the bar with the original soft blue
still in the bottom. Then I select Stop 2 and choose a color. That
overwrites
the first color at the top, and the soft blue is still in the bottom of
the
bar. I try different stop positions and that just seems to mix everything
up.

When I try a single color, I do not find plotarea colour anywhere in the
list of colors, as you suggest. I still get a muddled mixture when I try
different stop positions.

So... I still don't know what to do to produce a gradient of a single
color
of my choosing or a gradient of two colors of my choosing.

Maybe you have another add-in that "restores" Excel 2003 gradients like
you
did for pattern fill.

Thanks in advance for any help.


"Andy Pope" wrote:

Hi,

After selecting gradient you need to change the 2 stop colours.
Select Stop1 and use the Color: dropdown to change the top half of
column.
Select Stop2 and use the Color: dropdown to change the bottom half of the
column

For as single colour gradient you will need to set Stop2 to plotarea
colour.

Cheers
Andy
--

Andy Pope, Microsoft MVP - Excel
http://www.andypope.info
"NonTechie" wrote in message
...
I have Excel 2007. I want to have a gradient color for a chart. I go to
Format Chart Area and click Gradient fill and get a nice single color
blue
gradient from light blue to white. I want to have a single color
gradient
but
with a different color. The help menu talks about gradient stops, so I
tried
that, but when I use them with a different color, the blue is still on
part
of the chart. I really do not understand the gradient stop business. I
just
want to have a single color gradient with a color of my choice or a
two-color
gradient with two colors of my choice. I used to be able to do this
with
ease
with Excel 2003, but can't figure out how to do it with Excel 2007. Any
help
would be most welcome.

.