Quick question about progressive coloring

[Zerex71]

Hi all,

Anyone know the answer to this question of whether I can
"progressively color" (like a rainbow or spectrum) a line or set of
data spikes on a 2D plot? For example, lower numbers have darker
colors and higher numbers have lighter colors? Or, similarly, as the
vertical bars or columns rise up, they "fade" like a prism into other
colors? Is this something which can be done?

Thanks in advance for any help.

Mike

 

[Pete_UK]

You can get different transition effects from one colour to another.
Right-click on the data area of the graph, then click on Format Data
Series. The Patterns tab controls the colours in the bars of the
chart. From here you can click on Fill Effects in the Area panel, and
just play about with different selections (and there are different
tabs as well), until you achieve an effect you like.

Hope this helps.

Pete

 

[Earl Kiosterud]

Mike,

By "progressive coloring," I think you mean a gradient. But it won't respond to the value
of the data point. That sounds more like conditional formatting in a cell, and isn't
available on charts. You could do it manually, or via a macro.

For a gradient, right click one of the columns or bars (don't click it a second time, unless
you want to apply the gradient to only that column or bar), and choose "Format data series,"
then select the Patterns tab, then click "Fill effects," then select the Gradient tab. You
can apply this to a column, bar chart, area chart, and others, but you can't apply a
gradient to a line chart.

In the future, you might have better results in microsoft.public.excel.charting.

 

[Zerex71]

Mike,

By "progressive coloring," I think you mean a gradient. But it won't respond to the value
of the data point. That sounds more like conditional formatting in a cell, and isn't
available on charts. You could do it manually, or via a macro.

For a gradient, right click one of the columns or bars (don't click it a second time, unless
you want to apply the gradient to only that column or bar), and choose "Format data series,"
then select the Patterns tab, then click "Fill effects," then select the Gradient tab. You
can apply this to a column, bar chart, area chart, and others, but you can't apply a
gradient to a line chart.

In the future, you might have better results in microsoft.public.excel.charting.

Okay, thank you for all the suggestions, I'll give them a try and see
what happens. I also happen to know of an excellent website that I've
bookmarked but it escapes me. I believe it's Andy Pope's site.

Mike

 

[Pete_UK]

Here's the link to Andy's site:

http://www.andypope.info/charts.htm

Hope this helps.

Pete