Formatting the Plot and Chart areas

The Plot Area is the area of a chart on which the data series and axes are displayed.

To format the Plot Area:

1. In Design Mode, double-click the chart. A hashed border is displayed.
2. Double-click a blank part of the Plot area, or right-click and select Format Plot Area.

The Format Plot Area dialog is displayed. For most chart types, the dialog has two tabs: the Pattern tab and the Line tab. But for these chart types, the Format Plot Area has a third tab - the Quadrants tab:

• XY Scatter
• Portfolio
• Milestone
• Steps
• Histogram

Line tab

On the Line tab you can specify that a line is displayed around the plot area. If you do so, you can accept the default line formatting or specify a format.

To apply the default line style, click Automatic and then Apply. A narrow, solid black line is displayed around the plot area.

To specify a style:

1. Click User-defined
2. Select a line style from the Style list
3. Select the required color from the color picker
4. Click Apply

To remove a line from the plot area, click User-defined and select None from the Style list.

By default, if the chart has a title and you move the title in Design mode, the size of the plot area does not change. Select Overlap mode on the Title tab.

Formatting the Chart Area

The Chart Area is the area of the chart on which the plot area is displayed. It includes the chart legend, if displayed.

1. In Design Mode, double-click the chart. A hashed border is displayed.
2. Double-click a blank part of the chart area, or right-click and select Format Chart Area.

The Format Chart Area dialog is displayed. The dialog has only the Pattern tab.