Formatting Axis Patterns

Most people who create charts with Excel don't know that you can change just about everything that controls how the chart appears. One of the things you can easily change is the pattern used to denote a chart's axis. By default Excel normally uses a solid line for an axis. If you want to change the pattern used by Excel, follow these steps if you are using a version of Excel prior to Excel 2007:

1. Right-click on the axis whose pattern you want to change. Excel displays a Context menu for the axis.
2. Choose Format Axis from the Context menu. (If there is no Format Axis choice, then you did not right-click on an axis in step 1.) Excel displays the Format Axis dialog box.
3. Make sure the Patterns tab is selected. (Click here to see a related figure.)
4. Use the Style drop-down list to select the pattern that Excel should use for the axis.
5. Use the Color drop-down list to select a color for the axis.
6. Use the Weight drop-down list to specify how dark the pattern should appear.
7. Click on OK.

If you are using Excel 2007, then you should follow these steps:

1. Right-click on the axis whose pattern you want to change. Excel displays a Context menu for the axis.
2. Choose Format Axis from the Context menu. (If there is no Format Axis choice, then you did not right-click on an axis in step 1.) Excel displays the Format Axis dialog box. (Click here to see a related figure.)
3. Use the Line Style selection to specify how the axis line should look.
4. Use the Line Color selection to select a color for the axis.
5. Click on OK.