Excel 2007 is charting skinny lines instead of columns

[Carla]

Hi,
I have a chart that I have created that show the columns as a skinny line
instead of a column. The chart is to show all the data for the past 12
months, so the x axis will always only show 12 months worth of data.

Anyone have any ideas why 2007 is doing this?

 

[trip_to_tokyo]

Try this:-

- click in one of your columns so that all of them are highlighted

- right hand click then Format Data Series (window of same name should
launch)

- Series Options should be highlighted in orange on left hand side

- change Gap Width (on right hand side) to a lower percentage

- Close

Hopefully your columns will now no longer look as though they have been on a
diet!

If my comments have helped please hit Yes.

Thanks.

 

[Carla]

Hi, my lines still stay emanciapated even if I put the gap to Zero! I am
absolutely stumped. I have created other graphs exactly the same way and
they work fine. Any other suggestions?-

 

[trip_to_tokyo]

Sorry, Carla, but nothing else springs to mind at the moment: if it does I'll
post back.

 

[Carla]

further to this, if I only chart half of my data (6 months worth) it works
fine.

 

[Carla]

I am using the column chart type. I am charting only one data series (1
opacity reading per month). this might seem like a stupid question but does
a column chart require two sets of data?

 

[Carla]

I recreated the chart with the data set up simply as numbers and it works
fine. In my original chart, the data was the result of an equation. Would
this have something to do with the issue?

 

[trip_to_tokyo]

No it doesn't.

I am using the column chart type. I am charting only one data series (1
opacity reading per month). this might seem like a stupid question but does
a column chart require two sets of data?

 

[Carla]

Ok another update.....
I checked the formatting of dates.. they are formatted as custom (mmm-yy).
i was under the assumption that you could enter the date as 02/09 to get Feb
09 when it was formatted as such. When I enter the first date as text
"Feb-09", the chart works perfect even though the rest are set up as custom
mmm-yy. But when I hide Feb' 2009 data and add data for Feb 2010 to the
bottom, it reverts back to skinny lines. have you ever heard of this?

 

[Andy Pope]

Hi,

Skinny columns that do not respond well to the reduction in gap width
are usually caused by the category values being treated as dates rather
than text. This blog post illustrates some skinny columns.
http://peltiertech.com/WordPress/excel-category-axis-types/

Try changing the axis type to Text or Category rather than Automatic.

Cheers
Andy