Cheat Sheet: Excel Map Charts

CHEAT SHEET: EXCEL MAP CHARTS

Map charts work with geographical data, which can be country, regional or postcode data. It then draws the appropriate map for you and divides it up (in pie chart fashion) into different sized segments based on your data and colour-codes each segment.

Create a Map chart

1. Select any single cell in your data, or the entire data range.

2. Click the Insert tab.

3. Select the Maps icon in the Charts group and select Filled Map.

§ The Map is drawn for you.

§ Each area is sized and colour-coded on the map. This is also reflected in the legend which displays a single colour gradient bar that includes all the colours on the map.

Customise a Map chart

1. Check out the Chart Styles and Quick Layouts on the Design tab of Chart Tools.

2. Double-click anywhere on the chart to do display a sidebar containing all appropriate options for your map.

3. Click the drop-down arrow on the Series Options and select Series xyz, where xyz is your data.

4. Under Series Options you can change the Map Projection, Map Area and Map Labels.

§ Map Projection can be set to Automatic, Mercator, Miller and Albers.

§ Map Area gives you different region tags: Automatic, Only regions with data, Country/region, Multiple countries/regions and World.

§ Map Label can be set to None, Best Fit Only or Show All.

5. Under Series Color you can choose your colours and gradients to be used on your map.

6. Click the + in the top-right corner of the chart to access the Chart Elements. The only three you can change on Maps in the Title, Data Labels and Legend.

[hard stuff simplified]