Truncated graph-axis labels

[Mark Tangard]

Googling this doesn't seem to get me anywhere. I'm finding the same problem on
several ordinary line graphs. The numbers shown on the X-axis scale (these are
always simple 4-digit years) become more frequently truncated -- losing their
rightmost digit -- toward the right side of the axis. I say "more frequently"
because it isn't even consistent. Sometimes a full 4-digit year is shown even
though the years on both its right *and* its left are truncated to 3 digits, as
with "2001" in this screenshot, flanked by "200" on both sides:

http://www.speakeasy.net/~mtangard/excel_problem_screenshot.jpg

It's evidently a video problem, because it doesn't happen at a screen zoom under
45% or over 80%. Problem is, those zoomso are too small or too large for the
audience. It prints OK, and a PDF of the sheet also prints OK (and looks OK at
any magnification). What I need is for it to look OK on the screen at a zoom
level that'll show the whole graph legibly (about 65% in this case). The years
aren't crammed together by any means, that is, there seems to be plenty of room
for the vanished digits. What am I doing wrong?

This is Excel 2003 on WinXP SP2, but I remember also seeing it in Excel 2000.
I'm not new to Excel, but I have fairly limited experience with Excel charting.

Grateful for any clues,
Mark Tangard

 

[Bernard Liengme]

I cannot reproduce this. But then I do not know (1) version of XL you are
using, (2) number of datapoints (years),(3) Screen resolution, (4)type of
chart XY or Line, etc
If I have a chart with is too narrow to display all the digits, Excel puts
splits the number to two lines.
Suggestions: smaller font, align the years at 45° to axis, display only
every second year ....
best wishes

 

[Mark Tangard]

I cannot reproduce this. But then I do not know (1) version of XL you are using,

I wrote: "This is Excel 2003 on WinXP SP2." Did you need more than that?

(2) number of datapoints (years),

The datapoints aren't years, or otherwise evenly spaced. They're
readings at various fairly random dates, often several per year, dating
back to the 1987, for more than 80 total datapoints.

(3) Screen resolution

1024 x 768.

(4) type of chart XY
XY

If I have a chart with is too narrow to display all the digits, Excel puts
splits the number to two lines.

That's not happening here. The labels are only 4 characters.

Suggestions: smaller font

It's already quite small.

align the years at 45° to axis

Looks fuzzy on the screen; I'm being asked to make it clear. There
seems to be plenty of room, the program just isn't using it.

display only every second year ....

Again, there's ample room for each year. Why won't it use it?



-- Bernard V Liengme www.stfx.ca/people/bliengme remove caps from email

 

[Bernard Liengme]

I would be happy to look at the file - send to my private email not the
group