If you ever need a chart in a hurry or you just want to check trends in your data, you can create a chart in Excel with a single keystroke. There are only two steps:
1. Select the data you want to use in the chart.
2. Press the F11 key on the keyboard.
The resulting chart uses the default setting. If you haven’t changed any of the defaults, the chart will be a Column Cluster Chart.
If this isn’t the type of chart you want to produce when pressing F11, you need to change the default chart type. To change the default chart type in Excel, follow these steps:
1. Right click on an existing chart.
2. Choose “Change Series Chart Type” from the context menu.
3. Choose the chart type and chart sub type from the samples available.
4. Click on the “Set as default chart” button at the bottom of the Change Chart Type dialog box.
If you want to include other formatting choices – such as background color, X and Y scale, and font – you need to create a custom chart type and then set that as your default chart type.
To provide feedback or submit a technical topic/question you’d like to see addressed, please send e-mails to Matt.Jury@education.ky.gov.
Published 6/4/2010