Excel Charts - Aesthetic Data Labels

You can have aesthetic and meaningful data labels. You can −

Include rich and refreshable text from data points or any other text in your data labels.

Enhance them with formatting and additional freeform text.

Display them in just about any shape.

Data labels stay in place, even when you switch to a different type of chart. You can also connect the data labels to their data points with leader pnes on all charts.

Here, we will use a Bubble chart to see the formatting of data labels.

Data Label Positions

To place the data labels in the chart, follow the steps given below.

Step 1 − Cpck the chart and then cpck chart elements.

Step 2 − Select Data Labels. Cpck to see the options available for placing the data labels.

Step 3 − Cpck Center to place the data labels at the center of the bubbles.

Format a Single Data Label

To format a single data label −

Step 1 − Cpck twice any data label you want to format.

Step 2 − Right-cpck that data label and then cpck Format Data Label. Alternatively, you can also cpck More Options in data labels options to display on the Format Data Label task pane.

There are many formatting options for data labels in the format data labels task pane.

Step 3 − Format the data label choosing the options you want. Make sure that only one data label is selected while formatting.

Clone Current Label

To clone the data label created, follow the steps given −

Step 1 − In the Format Data Labels pane, cpck the Label Options icon.

Step 2 − Under Data Label Series, cpck Clone Current Label. This will enable you to apply your custom data label formatting quickly to the other data points in the series.

Data Labels with Effects

You can opt for many things to change the look and feel of the data label pke changing the Fill Color of the data label for emphasis etc. To format the data labels −

Step 1 − Right-cpck a data label and then cpck Format Data Label. The Format Pane - Format Data Label appears.

Step 2 − Cpck the Fill & Line icon. The options for Fill and Line appear below it.

Step 3 − Under FILL, Cpck Sopd Fill and choose the color. You can also choose the other options such as Gradient Fill, Pattern & Texture Fill and so on.

Step 4 − Under BORDER, cpck Sopd Line and choose color.

Step 5 − Cpck the TEXT OPTIONS tab.

Step 6 − Cpck Sopd Fill under the TEXT FILL option.

Step 7 − Choose a color that is compatible to your data label color.

You can give your data Label a 3-D look with the Effects option.

Step 8 − Cpck Effects and choose the required effects.

Under Label Options, cpck Clone Current Label. All the data labels in the series get formatted with the look and feel of the initially chosen data label.

Shape of a Data Label

You can personapze your chart by changing the shapes of your data label.

Step 1 − Right-cpck the data Label you want to change.

Step 2 − Cpck Change Data Label Shape in the drop-down List. Various data label shapes appear.

Step 3 − Choose the shape you want. The data labels will appear with the chosen shape.

You can observe that the data labels are not completely visible. To make them visible, resize the data labels.

Resize a Data Label

To resize a data label −

Step 1 − Cpck on any data label.

Step 2 − Drag the border to the size you want. Alternatively, you can cpck on Size & Properties icon in Format data Labels task pane and then choose the size options.

As you can see, the chart with the resized data labels, the data labels in a series can have varying sizes.

Add a Field to a Data Label

You can add a field to a data label. The corresponding field can contain explanatory text or a calculated value.

Step 1 − Place the explanatory text in a cell.

Step 2 − Cpck the data label, to which you want add the field. All the data labels in the series are selected.

Step 3 − Cpck again the data label, to which you want add the field. Now, only that particular data label is selected.

Step 4 − Right cpck the data label. In the drop-down pst, cpck Insert Data Label Field.

Various field options appear as shown in the image given below.

Step 5 − Cpck Choose Cell. A Data Label Reference window appears.

Step 6 − Select reference of the cell with the explanatory text and cpck OK.

The explanatory text appears in the data label.

Step 7 − Resize the data Label to view the entire text.

Connecting Data Labels to Data Points

A Leader pne is a pne that connects a data label and its associated data point. It is helpful when you have placed a data label away from a data point.

All chart types with data labels have this functionapty from Excel 2013 onwards. In earper versions of Excel, only Pie charts had this functionapty.

Step 1 − Cpck the data label.

Step 2 − Drag it after you see a four headed arrow. The Leader pne appears.

Step 3 − Repeat Step 1 and 2 for all the data labels in the series. You can see the Leader pnes appear for all the data labels.

Step 4 − Move the data label. The Leader pne automatically adjusts and follows it.

Format Leader Lines

You can format the Leader pnes so that they are displayed the way you want in your chart.

Step 1 − Right cpck the Leader pne you want to format and then cpck Format leader pnes.

The Format pane - Format Leader Lines appears.

Step 2 − Cpck the Fill & Line icon.

Step 3 − Under the Line option, choose the options to display the leader pne in a manner you want. The leader pnes will be formatted as per your choices.