Controlling Chart Gridlines

When you create a chart from your Excel data, the Chart Wizard takes care of many of the actual details related to how a specific chart appears. One of the elements that can be included on many of the charts is gridlines. Gridlines are helpful for easily determining the height or width of graphic elements used in your chart.

Excel allows you to specifically control which gridlines are displayed, or if they are displayed at all. You can do so by following these steps if you are using a version of Excel prior to Excel 2007:

1. Select the chart by clicking on it. You should see selection handles appear around the outside of the chart.
2. Choose Chart Options from the Chart menu. Excel displays the Chart Options dialog box.
3. Make sure the Gridlines tab is displayed. (Click here to see a related figure.) The settings on this tab control which gridlines are displayed in your chart. The actual settings available depend on the type of chart format you are using.
4. Change the settings, as desired.
5. Click on OK. The chart is updated to reflect your choice.

If you are using Excel 2007, then the steps are different:

1. Select the chart by clicking on it. You should see selection handles appear around the outside of the chart.
2. Make sure that the Layout tab of the ribbon is displayed. (This tab is only visible when you've selected the chart in step 1.)
3. Click the Gridlines tool in the Axes group. You'll see a drop-down menu appear with various options.
4. Use the Primary Horizontal Gridlines option or the Primary Vertical Gridlines option to make changes to the gridlines, as desired.