First, you should remember that a nice chart doesn't have lots of crap
cluttering it up. False 3D effects not only clutter a chart, they can also
make it hard to understand. A frame is okay if you don't make it so bold as
it overwhelms the chart and distracts the reader from the data (unless you
need a distraction!). Keep formatting to a minimum.
Make the background of the plot area white instead of the ugly default gray.
Use simple color schemes for the plotted data. If the chart has markers
connected by lines, don't use smoothed lines, because these give a false
view of the data. Use the lightest gray for gridlines.
- Jon
