Add charts to the document

Word 2003
Word borrows Excel's charting capabilities, which gives you plenty of power to create attractive and convincing charts.

To add a chart to the active document, follow these steps:

   1.   Place the insertion point at the beginning of the paragraph where you want the chart to appear. It's best to use a blank paragraph. You can move the chart later if you need to.

   2.   On the Insert tab, in the Illustrations group, click Chart.

Illustrations in Word 2007

Word displays the Insert Chart dialog box:

Insert Chart in Word 2007

   3.   Select chart type that you want and then click the OK button. Two things now happen:

  • Word launches Excel, which creates a workbook named Chart In Microsoft Office Word. This workbook consists of a single worksheet containing sample categories, series, and data:
    Chart in Microsoft Office Word 2007
  • Word inserts a chart using the sample data in your document and displays the Chart Tools section of the Ribbon, which contains a Design tab, a Layout tab, and a Format tab:
    Chart Tools in Word 2007

NOTE: Without Excel 2007, Word defaults to Microsoft Graph, mostly unchanged from previous versions (for more details see Add charts to the document Word 2003).

   4.   In the Excel workbook, create the data for the chart:

  • Type your categories, series, and data in place of the sample data.
  • To change the data range for the chart, drag the handle in its lower-right corner you may not need to change the data range manually, as Excel automatically extends it for you when you enter data in cells outside but adjoining the data range.
  • As you work, Excel changes the chart in the Word document.

   6.   When you've finished changing the chart, click the Close button on the Excel window. Excel closes, returning you to the Word window.

Chart in MS Word 2007

You can then change the chart's type and appearance by using the controls on the three tabs of the Chart Tools section of the Ribbon.

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