Format Error Bars in Charts in Excel- Instructions

Format Error Bars in Charts in Excel: Video Lesson

          This video lesson, titled “Excel for Microsoft 365 Tutorial: How to Format Error Bars in a Chart in Excel,” shows you how to format error bars in charts in Excel. This video lesson is from our complete Excel tutorial, titled Mastering Excel Made Easy™.

Overview

           To format error bars in Excel if you added them to an Excel chart, choose the set of error bars to format from the “Chart Elements” drop-down in the “Current Selection” button group on the “Format” contextual tab in the Ribbon. Then click the “Format Selection” button below the drop-down menu in the same button group. Alternatively, right-click the set of error bars to format in the chart. Then select the “Format Error Bars…” command from the pop-up menu that appears.

            Using either method then displays the “Format Error Bars” task pane at the right side of the screen. In the “Error Bar Options” category, which appears at the top of the pane and is selected by default, click the “Fill & Line,” “Effects,” or “Error Bar Options” subcategory settings icon below the category to set its related options for the selected error bars.

            The formatting options for the selected subcategory appear in collapsible and expandable lists at the bottom of the task pane. To expand and collapse the individual subcategory options, click the option titles. Then set any individual options, as desired, in the task pane to immediately apply those changes. When finished, click the “X” button in the upper-right corner of the task pane to close it.

Format Error Bars in Charts in Excel: Instructions

1. To format error bars in Excel if you added them to an Excel chart, choose the set of error bars to format from the “Chart Elements” drop-down in the “Current Selection” button group on the “Format” contextual tab in the Ribbon.
2. Then click the “Format Selection” button below the drop-down menu in the same button group.
3. Alternatively, right-click the set of error bars to format in the chart.
4. Then select the “Format Error Bars…” command from the pop-up menu that appears.
5. Using either method then displays the “Format Error Bars” task pane at the right side of the screen.
6. In the “Error Bar Options” category, which appears at the top of the pane and is selected by default, click the “Fill & Line,” “Effects,” or “Error Bar Options” subcategory settings icon below the category to set its related options for the selected error bars.
7. The formatting options for the selected subcategory appear in collapsible and expandable lists at the bottom of the task pane.
8. To expand and collapse the individual subcategory options, click the option titles.
9. Then set any individual options, as desired, in the task pane to immediately apply those changes.
10. When finished, click the “X” button in the upper-right corner of the task pane to close it.