Glossary
Watch the following PowerPoint presentation to see a graphical demonstration of the terminology used to describe parts of Excel charts.
Please note that the PowerPoint presentation contains blinking and flashing animations.
The terminology is also described in plain text below.
Some Definitions
of Terminology Relating to Charts
Categories
Individual measurement
points or criteria for the data in a chart.
Category Name
An individual label on the x axis, also known as a tick-mark label.
Chart Area
The entire chart; containing all of the data series, axes, titles and legends.
Chart Sheet
A separate sheet in the workbook which only contains one chart.
Data Label
The value or name assigned to individual data points. Its display on the chart is optional.
Data Points
Values from cells on worksheets, displayed as bars, lines, columns, pie slices or other shapes on a chart.
Data Series
A collection of related
values plotted on a chart.
Drop Lines
Vertical lines extending from the data point to the category (x) axis, which can be used on area and line charts.
Embedded Chart
The chart is embedded as an object on the worksheet, alongside the data it is generated from. The chart can be printed as part of that sheet or as a separate item. Best used when the data needs to be shown in the context of the worksheet data.
Gap Width
The value that controls the spaces between clusters of columns or bars. The higher the gap width value, the larger the space between clusters of data markers.
Gridlines
Lines across the plot area, allowing the eye to travel more easily back to the values on the axes.
High-Low Lines
In a line chart, these are lines that connect the highest and lowest value for a category across all series.
Legend
A key that appears in a small box beside your chart, showing which colours and symbols represent each data series.
Orientation
Refers to the data to be charted, and particularly to whether it is in rows or columns.
Overlap Value
The value that controls the overlap of data points within a cluster of columns or bars. The higher the overlap value, the greater the overlap between data markers.
Plot Area
The part of the chart bound by the vertical and horizontal axes and their opposing sides.
Secondary Value Axis
An additional value axis that appears on the opposite side of the plot area from the primary value axis. Used when plotting mixed types of data, such as quantity and price, where different scales are required.
Series Lines
In a stacked bar chart, these appear as lines between the stacked columns that connect the top of each series within the stack.
Subtype
Variation of a basic chart type.
Tick-mark
Indicators on the axes used to mark off division of scale and/or category or to separate series groups on the x axis.
Up-down Bars
In a line chart, these are bars that extend between the highest and lowest value for a category. Up bars are white, and down bars are black.
X & Y Axes
The X axis lies along
the bottom of the chart and is usually used for categories. The Y axis goes up
one side and is used for data series values. The axes are reversed on bar
charts.