Excel Pie Chart / Pie Graph Tutorial

By Ted French, About.com Guide See More About: excel pie chart excel circle chart excel charts and graphs 1 of 9

Create a Pie Chart / Pie Graph in Excel

Previous Next

Excel Pie Chart / Pie Graph Tutorial

Related tutorial: Excel 2003 Pie Chart Tutorial.

Pie charts, or circle graphs as they are sometimes known, are used to show percentages.

The circle of pie charts represents 100%. The circle is subdivided into slices representing data values. The size of each slice shows what part of the 100% it represents.

Excel Pie Chart Step by Step Tutorial

Following the steps in this tutorial walks you through creating and formatting the pie chart seen in the image above.

Entering the Chart Data

Excel Pie Chart Ted French

Enter the Chart Data

The first step in creating a pie chart is to enter the data into the worksheet.

When entering the data, keep these rules in mind:

1.

Don't leave blank rows or columns when entering your data.

2.

Enter your data in columns.

Note: When laying out your spreadsheet, list the names describing the data in one column and, to the right of that, the data itself.

3.

A pie chart is a percentage chart, so only one series of data will be used in the chart. If there is more than one column of data, try to list the data to be used in the chart next to the column containing the list of names in order to simplify creating the chart.

To follow this tutorial, enter the data located in step 9.

Select the Pie Chart Data

Two Options for Selecting the Chart Data

Using the mouse

1.

Drag select with the mouse button to highlight the cells containing the data to be included in the pie chart.

Using the keyboard

1. 2. 3.

Click on the top left of the pie charts's data. Hold down the SHIFT key on the keyboard. Use the arrow keys on the keyboard to select the data to be included in the pie chart.

Note: Be sure to select any column and row titles that you want included in the chart.

For this tutorial

1.

Highlight the block of cells from A2 to B5, which includes the row headings.

Selecting a Pie Chart Type

Excel Pie Chart Ted French

Selecting a Pie Chart Type

Note: For help with these instructions, see the image example above.

1. 2.

Click on the Insert ribbon tab. Click on a chart category to open the drop down list of available chart types. (Hovering your mouse pointer over a chart type will bring up a description of the chart type).

3.

Click on a chart type to select it.

For this tutorial

1. 2.

Choose Insert > Pie > Pie in 3-d. A basic pie chart is created and placed on your worksheet. The following pages cover formatting this chart to match the pie chart shown in Step 1 of this tutorial.

The Basic Pie Chart

Excel Pie Chart Ted French

Formatting options for the pie chart

Use the following links to format the basic pie chart shown above.

Choosing a style for the pie chart Exploding a piece of the pie chart Adding a title to the chart Remove the legend Adding data labels to the chart Adding a drop shadow to the title Coloring the chart background Beveling the chart edge

Formatting the Pie Chart - 1

Excel Pie Chart Ted French

Formatting the Pie Chart - 1

Note: For help with these instructions, see the image example above.

When you click on a chart, three tabs - the Design, Layout, and Format tabs are added to the ribbon under the title of Chart Tools.

Choosing a style for the Pie chart

1. 2. 3.

Click on the pie chart. Click on the Design tab. Choose Style 6 of the Chart Styles

. Return to the format options list

Exploding a piece of the pie chart

Note: Exploding a piece of pie out from the rest of the chart is done to emphasize that section.

1. 2. 3.

Click once on the pie chart to highlight it. Click once on the Peanut Butter slice of the pie chart to select just that piece of the chart. Click and drag the Peanut Butter slice out from the pie chart to explode it.

Return to the format options list

Formatting the Pie Chart - 2

Excel Pie Chart Ted French

Formatting the Pie Chart - 2

Note: For help with these instructions, see the image example above.

Adding a title to the chart

1. 2.

Click on the Layout tab. Click on Chart Title under the Labels section.

3.

Select the third option - Above Chart.

4. Type in the title "The Cookie Shop 2003 Revenue from Sales " . Return to the format options list

Remove the legend

1.

Choose Layout > Legend > None.

Return to the format options list

Adding data labels to the chart

1. 2. 3. 4.

Choose Layout > Data Labels > Best Fit to add data labels. Choose Layout > Data Labels > More Data Label Options to bring up the Format Data Labels dialog box. Remove the check marks from Value and Show Leader Lines under Label Options in the right hand window. Check off Category Name and Percentage under Label Options in the right hand window.

Formatting the Pie Chart - 3

Excel Pie Chart Ted French

Formatting the Pie Chart - 3

Note: For help with these instructions, see the image example above.

Adding a drop shadow to the title

1.

Drag select the chart title.

2.

Click on the Format ribbon tab.

3. Choose Text Effects > Shadow > Offset Right. Return to the format options list

Coloring the chart background

1. 2. 3.

Click on the chart background. Click on the Format ribbon tab. Choose Shape Fill > Gradient > Theme Colors > Purple, Accent 4, Lighter 80%.

4. Click on the Shape Fill > Gradient > From Center option. Return to the format options list

Beveling the chart edge

1. 2. 3.

Click on the chart background. Click on the Format ribbon tab. Choose Shape Effects > Bevel > Divot.

Pie Chart Tutorial Data

Excel Pie Chart Ted French

Enter the data below in the cells indicated to create the pie chart covered in this tutorial.

Cell - Data A1 - The Cookie Shop 2003 Revenue from Sales A2 - Peanut Butter A3 - Chocolate Chip A4 - Oatmeal Raisin A5 - Lemon B2 - $15,500

B3 - $27,589 B4 - $24,980 B5 - $14,768