Comments on: Chroming Excel: How to make pretty graphs http://elliottback.com/wp/chroming-excel-how-to-make-pretty-graphs/ Internet & Technology Sun, 22 Nov 2009 02:40:56 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Philip Dhingra http://elliottback.com/wp/chroming-excel-how-to-make-pretty-graphs/#comment-2187595 Philip Dhingra Mon, 13 Jul 2009 03:45:11 +0000 /?p=148#comment-2187595 Also, to get the anti-alias effect, in Windows XP right-click on desktop, properties, appearance, effects, and turn on ClearType. Then take a print-screen of your Excel graph and paste it into your preferred graphics program. Also, to get the anti-alias effect, in Windows XP right-click on desktop, properties, appearance, effects, and turn on ClearType. Then take a print-screen of your Excel graph and paste it into your preferred graphics program.

]]> By: emok http://elliottback.com/wp/chroming-excel-how-to-make-pretty-graphs/#comment-2183931 emok Mon, 01 Jun 2009 18:43:05 +0000 /?p=148#comment-2183931 I second that the author should read Tufte. Everyone knows that Excel produces hideous graphs, but superficial changes like adding a background gradient doesn't help. The author should have asked himself: "Will adding a background gradient make it easier for another person to understand the results from my experiment?" not "Doesn't this background gradient look pretty?" I do agree that Excel's gridlines are too dark. It is best to switch them to a light grey (solid, no dashes) or remove them altogether. In this case, changing the color of the lines improves the reader's ability to interpret the graph. It is much easier for the eye to follow the data's trend if there aren't dark lines criss-crossing the graph. I second that the author should read Tufte. Everyone knows that Excel produces hideous graphs, but superficial changes like adding a background gradient doesn’t help. The author should have asked himself: “Will adding a background gradient make it easier for another person to understand the results from my experiment?” not “Doesn’t this background gradient look pretty?”

I do agree that Excel’s gridlines are too dark. It is best to switch them to a light grey (solid, no dashes) or remove them altogether. In this case, changing the color of the lines improves the reader’s ability to interpret the graph. It is much easier for the eye to follow the data’s trend if there aren’t dark lines criss-crossing the graph.

]]> By: TufteWufty http://elliottback.com/wp/chroming-excel-how-to-make-pretty-graphs/#comment-2046844 TufteWufty Fri, 05 Sep 2008 19:36:17 +0000 /?p=148#comment-2046844 Watch out. Tufte is overblown. And, his fan club can be pretty annoying. Watch out. Tufte is overblown. And, his fan club can be pretty annoying.

]]> By: Cielia http://elliottback.com/wp/chroming-excel-how-to-make-pretty-graphs/#comment-1758805 Cielia Mon, 23 Jun 2008 20:15:12 +0000 /?p=148#comment-1758805 Tom, Right click and select FormatPlotArea Tom, Right click and select FormatPlotArea

]]> By: Tom http://elliottback.com/wp/chroming-excel-how-to-make-pretty-graphs/#comment-1551426 Tom Sun, 04 May 2008 14:08:44 +0000 /?p=148#comment-1551426 Matthew, I agree, but how do you take away the horrible gray background? Excel doesn't seem to have any way of changing it. Matthew, I agree, but how do you take away the horrible gray background? Excel doesn’t seem to have any way of changing it.

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