Formatting a Least-Squares Graph Using Microsoft Excel
Background Color
Right-click anywhere on the background. Click on Format Plot Area... Under Border,
select the style, color and weight (or none) of the box around the graph. Under Area, select
white for a white background. Click OK.
Text Font
Double-click on the graph title, axis title, legend or the equation of the line. Click on the
Font tab. Select the Font:, Font Style: and Size: for the text. Click OK.
Axis Scale
Double-click on the axis. Click on the Scale tab. Set the Minimum: and Maximum:
values to be used for the axis. The Major unit: is the increment to be used for tick marks and
axis labels.
Moving Objects
Click on the equation of the line or legend box (a highlighted box will appear). Click and
drag one of the squares surrounding the box to move the text to a different position on the graph.
Portrait vs. Landscape Orientation
Click on Page Setup... under File on the menu bar. Click on the Page tab, and click on
the radio button next to either Portrait or Landscape under Orientation to select the orientation
of the graph on the page. Click on OK.
Line Style
Double-click in the line. Under Patterns, select the style, color and weight for the line.
Data Point Style
Click the first data point in the series (the first and last data points should be highlighted).
Move the mouse cursor over the last data point in the series until Series 1 (m,n) appears in the
yellow information box (m and n are the number of rows and columns in your data). Right-click.
Click on Format Data Series... Click on the Patterns tab. Under Marker, select the style and
size for the data point marker.
Resizing
Click anywhere in the background of the graph (a box surrounding the graph will appear).
Move the mouse cursor to any of the small, black squares embedded in the box (you should see
a double arrow appear). Click and drag to make the graph larger or smaller.
Repositioning
Click on the Chart tab under the Page Setup... menu under File on the menu bar. Click
on the radio button next to Custom under Printed Chart Size. Click on the Margins tab. Click
on the checkboxes next to both Horizontally and Vertically under Center on page (you can use
the Margins spacings to position a small figure where you want it on a page). Click on OK.
Headers/Footers
Click on the Header/Footer tab under the Page Setup... menu under File on the menu
bar. Click on either the Custom Header... or Custom Footer... button and enter the text that
you want in the Center Section: box. Click on OK. Click on OK.
Print Preview
Click on Print Preview under File on the menu bar at any time to see how your graph
will look when it is printed.
Printing
Click on Print... under File on the menu bar. Click OK.
Constructing a Least-Squares Graph Using Microsoft Excel