I want to make a custom line on an xy plot. The colors and lines that
excel has by default don't fit my needs. Thank you for your help. I can
provide more explanation.


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schnett
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I can provide more explanation.

We're all ears.

- Jon
-------
Jon Peltier, Microsoft Excel MVP
Peltier Technical Services
Tutorials and Custom Solutions
http://PeltierTech.com/
_______

"schnett" wrote in
message ...

I want to make a custom line on an xy plot. The colors and lines that
excel has by default don't fit my needs. Thank you for your help. I can
provide more explanation.


--
schnett
------------------------------------------------------------------------
schnett's Profile:
http://www.excelforum.com/member.php...o&userid=12035
View this thread: http://www.excelforum.com/showthread...hreadid=521295

I want to make a custom line x,y @ (0,10) and (10,10) that actually says
maximum in the linetype. I will probably have to draw a picture in the
picture editor like "----MAX----MAX----". I want this or something like
this to be my linetype. Drawing a simple picture is no problem except
how do I import it into excel for this linetype ?


--
schnett
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Think of your custom line not as a funky linetype with a repeated text or
graphic element, but rather as another series you are plotting on the chart,
one that includes all of the decorations you may use in a chart (markers.
lines, error bars, data labels). Think of all the things you can do with
that.

How far apart do you want the repeated labels? I will assume the chart is
fairly large, so my example places them 1 X unit apart, between major X
units. Here's my data, let's suppose it's in A1:B11:

Max
0.5 10
1.5 10
2.5 10
3.5 10
4.5 10
5.5 10
6.5 10
7.5 10
8.5 10
9.5 10

Cell A1 is completely blank. Make your life easier with formulas. A2 is 0.5,
A3 has a formula =A2+1; fill this down through A11. B2 is 10, B3 has the
formula =B2; drag this down through B11.

Select this range (A1:B11, including top row), copy, select the chart, use
Paste Special from the Edit menu to add the data as a new series, with
series names in top row, category labels in first column. Select the new
series, use Chart Type from the Chart menu to change it to an XY type (if is
isn't already). An XY series can have independent X scaling from other
series in the chart, and error bars in the X direction, which we'll see in a
moment.

Double click the new series, and on the Patterns tab choose None for Line
and Marker. On the Data Labels tab, select the option that displays the
series name. On the X Error Bars tab, select the icon for both directions,
and enter a fixed value of 0.5 (half the spacing between points. Click OK.

Double click on a data label, on the Font tab, choose the opaque background,
or choose transparent and pick a pattern that has a fill to match the plot
area color. Double click an error bar, and on the Patterns tab, choose the
line type and color you want, then click on the option without the little
cross on the end.

Personally, I wouldn't have gone to the extra hassle to add additional
clutter (so many redundant Max labels) within the chart. I would use a
single data point at 10,10. I would use a negative X error bar with a value
of 10, to span back to the left edge of the chart, and I'd put a label on
this point on the right of the point (outside the plot area) to indicate
Max.

- Jon
-------
Jon Peltier, Microsoft Excel MVP
Peltier Technical Services - Tutorials and Custom Solutions -
http://PeltierTech.com/
2006 Excel User Conference, 19-21 April, Atlantic City, NJ
http://peltiertech.com/Excel/ExcelUserConf06.html
_______

"schnett" wrote in
message ...

I want to make a custom line x,y @ (0,10) and (10,10) that actually says
maximum in the linetype. I will probably have to draw a picture in the
picture editor like "----MAX----MAX----". I want this or something like
this to be my linetype. Drawing a simple picture is no problem except
how do I import it into excel for this linetype ?


--
schnett