Excel 2010 Just the Steps For Dummies
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You can add titles to an Excel 2010 chart to help describe its purpose. By default, titles are not added when you create a basic chart, but you can add them later manually. In addition to a main chart title that is generally displayed above a chart, you can add descriptive titles to the x-axis (category axis) and the y-axis (value axis).

Follow these steps to insert and edit chart titles in Excel 2010:

  1. Click anywhere on the chart you want to modify.

  2. On the Chart Tools Layout tab, click the Chart Title button in the Labels group.

    A list of options appears:

    • None: This choice means you don't want to display a title. Also use this option to remove a chart title you don't want.

    • Centered Overlay Title: Centers the title over the chart but retains the existing size of the chart.

    • Above Chart: Centers the title over the chart but adds room at the top so the title doesn't interfere with the chart itself.

  3. Make a selection from the Chart Title drop-down list.

    A box with the words Chart Title appears on the chart.

    Adding a title to your chart.
    Adding a title to your chart.
  4. Double-click the new text box that says "Chart Title" and drag across the words Chart Title.

    The words become highlighted.

  5. Type the desired title.

  6. (Optional) To format a title, select it and, on the Chart Tools Layout tab, click Chart Title→More Title Options, and customize to your heart's content.

    The Format Chart Title dialog box appears. Click any tab and choose any formatting options you want to apply to the title. Click Close when you're done.

    You can format chart titles in different ways.
    You can format chart titles in different ways.
  7. (Optional) To add an axis title, click the Axis Titles button on the Chart Tools Layout tab, and then select the axis and the type of title you want to add. Repeat Steps 4–6 to edit the axis title.

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About This Article

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About the book author:

Diane Koers owns and operates All Business Service, a software training and consulting business formed in 1988, that services the central Indiana area. Her area of expertise has long been in the word-processing, spreadsheet, and graphics areas of computing. She also provides training and support for Peachtree Accounting Software. Diane's authoring experience includes over 40 books on topics, such as PC security, Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Works, WordPerfect, Paint Shop Pro, Lotus SmartSuite, Quicken, Microsoft Money, and Peachtree Accounting. Many of these titles have been translated into other languages, such as French, Dutch, Bulgarian, Spanish, and Greek. She has also developed and written numerous training manuals for her clients.
Diane and her husband enjoy spending their free time fishing, traveling, and playing with their four grandsons and their Yorkshire Terrier.

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