Customizing axis labels

An axis label is a text string or number appearing below or next to a graded axis, on or between tick marks which denote a category, series or scale division. Also known as category text (X axis labels) or scale text (Y axis text). It is different from a data point label.

You can choose one of several options for fitting axis labels in what may be a limited amount of space. By default, labels on horizontal axes are laid out in a single line parallel to the axis; labels on vertical axes are perpendicular to the axis. You can adjust the label layout by using the options below. These options apply mostly to text labels on horizontal axes and have limited use on scaled (numeric) or vertical axes. Scale labels cannot be truncated, and vertical axis labels are given an unlimited amount of room.

  1. On the Chart tab, in the Axes group, click the dialog box launcher.
  2. From the Labels list, select:
    Option Description
    Center Labels are center-justified in a category. This is the default setting, acting as the automatic label layout option in which the entire label is shown horizontally, except for X axis labels when the X axis is horizontal. A label that does not fit is cropped on both the left and right sides.
    Truncate Labels that fit are center-justified in a category. Labels which do not fit are left-justified and cropped on the right side. This setting only applies to X axis labels when the X axis is horizontal.
    Stagger Labels are laid out alternating on two lines, effectively giving a label twice as much room as normal. The labels are center-justified in a category. If a staggered label still does not fit in the expanded space, it is cropped on both the left and right sides. This setting only applies to labels on horizontal axes.
    Rotate The label angle (normally zero degrees) is set to 55 degrees. This decreases the height of the plot when used with horizontal axes.
    Hide Labels are hidden.
  3. Select the Only if labels do not fit check box if the Label option should apply only when the axis labels will not fit in their allotted space. If this box is cleared, the Label option is always be applied, regardless of whether or not labels fit. This box is not available for vertical or scaled axes, nor with the Center and Truncate options which only have meaning when labels do not fit. These options are overridden if either of the next 2 boxes are checked.
  4. Select the Custom Angle check box to set the angle of the selected axis' labels in degrees (0 - 359). The labels rotate counter-clockwise as the angle increases. If you check this box, it overrides the Label options above.
  5. Select the Truncate check box to define the maximum number of characters that can appear in each label on the X axis. If a label exceeds this length, the remainder of the label is replaced with an ellipsis (…). Only X axis labels can be truncated, since it is a text-labeled axis; the scaled numeric Y and 2nd Y axes cannot have their labels truncated. If you check this box, it overrides the Label options above.
  6. Click Save Changes.