Excel Pie Charts

The next chart we'll create is a pie chart. The process is almost the same, but instead of creating the chart in a separate sheet, we'll create it in the spreadsheet itself. This time, we'll use the ITV figures.

To make a start on the pie chart, highlight the ITV data in the spreadsheet you created earlier, as in the image below:

Once the data is highlighted, click on Insert from the menu bar. From the menu, click Chart. Alternatively, click the Chart icon in the toolbar. The chart icon looks like the one below:

If you can't see that icon in the tool bar, click on View > Toolbars. From the menu that appears, make sure there is a tick next to Standard.

Whichever method you use, the Chart Wizard will start up again.

In step 1 of the Wizard, locate the word Pie in the Chart Type list. The pie chart sub-types appear just to the right. There are six sub-types to choose from. Select the first one.

You can click the "Press and Hold to View Sample" button to see what it looks like. But click Next when you're done.

Step 2 of the Wizard is for the data range to include in the Pie chart. We've already selected our data, so just click the Next button on Step 2.

Step 3 of the Wizard looks like this:

Click inside the Chart Title text box, and enter the title "Viewing Figures in Millions". Then click the Data Labels tab strip.

Under "Data labels", the default value None will be selected. Click "Show value" instead. (But click the others and see what happens). Then click the Next button at the bottom.

Step 4 of the wizard is where you specify the location for your new chart. This is the dialogue box:

Make sure your dialogue box has "As object in" selected, and it says Sheet 1 (This is where your spreadsheet should be. If it's in a different sheet, click the black down arrow and select the sheet you need.)

Next, click the Finish button at the bottom.

When you click the Finish button after step 4 of the Chart wizard, the wizard closes, and your new chart appears in your spreadsheet.

Your new chart will have the black squares surrounding it, indicating that it is selected. Click anywhere on a white area (Top left corner of the chart is ideal). Hold down your left mouse button and drag the chart downwards into some space.

When you have moved the chart, you need to resize it. Hold down your left mouse button on the centre black square at the bottom. Drag downwards to increase the height of your chart. When you have finished, you should have a pie chart on your spreadsheet like the one below:

If part of your title "Viewing figures in millions" is hidden, you can move it over. Click on your title with your left mouse button. You'll see a border appear around the title:

Click on the shaded border with your left mouse button. Keep your left mouse button held down and drag it to a different position.

And that's it for pie charts. Except we need some of that space that the pie chart is occupying. And the chart is a bit hard to see where it is. It would be better of in a sheet of its own. We can move it.

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  Make sure the chart is highlighted by clicking on it with the left mouse button. The black squares should appear around the edges


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  Click on Edit from the menu bar


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  From the drop down menu, click "Cut"


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  The chart disappears from the spreadsheet


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  Click on a blank Sheet at the bottom (Sheet 3 might be blank on yours, but the image shows Sheet 4)

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  Click on Edit from the menu bar

  
  


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  From the Drop down menu, click on Paste

  
  


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  The pie chart is pasted to Sheet 3