Bubble chart

The following relates to Excel 2007, but may well apply to Excel 2010, taken from here... Present your data in a bubble chart - Excel - Microsoft Office


Create an elaborate bubble chart


So, how did we create this bubble chart? The following procedure will help you create a bubble chart with similar results. For this chart, we used the example worksheet data. You can copy this data to your worksheet, or you can use your own data.

1. Copy the example worksheet data into a blank worksheet, or open the worksheet that contains the data that you want to plot in a bubble chart.

How to copy the example worksheet data

• Create a blank workbook or worksheet.
• Select the example in the Help topic.

Note Do not select the row or column headers.

Selecting an example from Help

• Press CTRL+C.
• In the worksheet, select cell A1, and press CTRL+V.

1 2 3 4 5 6
A B C Number of Products Sales Percentage of Market Share 5 $5,500 3% 14 $12,200 12% 20 $60,000 33% 18 $24,400 10% 22 $32,000 42%
Note Make sure that your worksheet has at least four rows or columns of data. When you create a bubble chart from three or fewer rows or columns of data, the chart does not plot the bubbles correctly.

1. Select the data that you want to plot in the bubble chart.

Note It is best not to include row or column headings in the selection. If you select the headings with your data, the chart may produce incorrect results.

1. On the Insert tab, in the Charts group, click Other Charts.

1. Under Bubble, click Bubble with a 3-D Effect.
2. Click the chart area (chart area: The entire chart and all its elements.) of the chart.

This displays the Chart Tools, adding the Design, Layout, and Format tabs.

1. On the Design tab, in the Chart Styles group, click the chart style that you want to use.

Tip For our bubble chart, we used Style 29.

1. On the chart, click the legend, and then press DELETE.
2. To change the size of the chart, on the Format tab, in the Size group, select the shape size that you want in the Shape Height and Shape Width box, and then press ENTER.

Tip For our bubble chart, we used 3.5" for both shape height and shape width.

1. To add, format, and position a chart title on the chart, click the chart area (chart area: The entire chart and all its elements.), and then do the following:

1. On the Layout tab, in the Labels group, click Chart Title, and then click Above Chart.

1. In the chart, click the chart title, and then type the text that you want.

Tip For our bubble chart, we typed Industry Market Share Study.

1. To reduce the size of the chart title, right-click the title, and then enter the size that you want in the Size box on the shortcut menu.

Tip For our bubble chart, we used 12.

1. To align the chart title with the plot area (plot area: In a 2-D chart, the area bounded by the axes, including all data series. In a 3-D chart, the area bounded by the axes, including the data series, category names, tick-mark labels, and axis titles.), click the chart title, and then drag it to the position that you want.

1. To add a horizontal axis title, click the chart area of the chart, and then do the following:

1. On the Layout tab, in the Labels group, click Axis Titles, and then click Primary Horizontal Axis Title, and then click Title Below Axis.
2. Click the horizontal axis title, type the text that you want, and then press ENTER.

Tip For our bubble chart, we typed Number of products.

1. Click the vertical axis, or select it from a list of chart elements (Layout tab, Current Selection group, Chart Elements box).
2. On the Format tab, in the Current Selection group, click Format Selection.
3. Under Axis Options, do the following:

• For Minimum, select the Fixed option, and then type 0 (zero) in the Fixed box.
• For Maximum, select the Fixed option, and then type the number that you want in the Fixed box.

Tip For our bubble chart, we typed 80000.

1. In the Format Axis dialog box, click Number.
2. Under Number, in the Decimal places box, type 0 (zero), and then click Close.
3. To apply a special formatting effect to the plot area, chart area, chart title, or vertical axis of the chart, click that chart element, or select it from a list of chart elements (Layout tab, Current Selection group, Chart Elements box), and then do the following:

• On the Format tab, in the Shape Styles group, click the More button , and then click the effect that you want to use.

Tip For our bubble chart, we used the Subtle Effect - Accent 4 for the plot area, Intense Effect - Accent 4 for the chart area, Subtle Effect - Accent 4 for the chart title, and Intense Line - Accent 6 for the vertical axis.

1. If you want to use theme colors different from the default theme that is applied to your workbook, do the following:

1. On the Page Layout tab, in the Themes group, click Themes.

1. Under Built-in, click the theme that you want to use.

Tip For our bubble chart, we used the Foundry theme.


I hope this helps - there is more information in the link.