XL98: Column Charts May Not Show All Data Labels

• Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition

SYMPTOMS

In Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition, if you create a column chart with column titles along the x-axis, Microsoft Excel may print only every other title if the title is too long to fit under the column or columns. Column labels may or may not wrap on the screen and may or may not wrap when you view them in print preview or when you print them.

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, use any of the following methods:

• Resize the chart on the chart sheet. When you resize the chart to certain sizes, Microsoft Excel will wrap some text labels. Sometimes the text will wrap such that all labels are displayed. When you view the chart in print preview, it will have results independent of the screen results.


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• On the chart, format the x-axis data labels in a smaller point size, making the labels small enough to fit under the data columns. This workaround is useful in cases where one or two labels are only slightly too long for the available space.


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• Place blank columns on either side of the data in the worksheet and include those columns in the chart data as the first and third data series. This will result in thinner data columns and excess items in chart legends, but the data labels will now wrap under the data columns. To adjust columns that are too thin: select the column series, and click Column Group on the Format menu. Click the Options tab, and then adjust the Gap Width option to the width you want.


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• Insert line break characters to force the data labels on the worksheet to be wrapped. These line break characters will be carried through to the chart. Follow these steps to insert a line break character into an existing cell entry:
  
  
  1. In the formula bar, place the insertion point where you need to insert the line break in the cell entry.
  
  
  
  2. Press COMMAND+OPTION+RETURN to insert the line break.
  
  
  
  3. Press RETURN to reenter the value into the cell.
  
  
  

MORE INFORMATION

When you print a chart or view it in print preview, there is no way to force automatic line wrapping (even if you've formatted the lines in the worksheet with the Wrap Text option). Not having the "text wrap" feature can be a problem when each data group has a unique name and no obvious pattern.

Additional query words: XL98

Keywords : kbdta kbchart
Version : MACINTOSH:98
Platform : MACINTOSH
Issue type : kbprb