Selecting Fonts for a Chart

When creating a chart in Excel, you can add various elements to the charts, such as titles or data labels. Excel allows you to change the font used to display these elements, if you desire. You can change fonts for these elements individually. To do this, use these steps if you are using a version of Excel prior to Excel 2007:

1. Make sure your chart is visible on the screen and you have selected it. (You do this by clicking on the chart.)
2. Select the text element whose font you wish to change. For instance, if you want to change the chart's title, click on the title. Excel displays small black squares around the element; this lets you know it is selected.
3. Choose Selected from the Format menu. (The word "Selected" in the menu will be followed by the type of object you selected, as in "Selected Chart Title.") Excel displays the Format dialog box for the element.
4. Make sure the Font tab is selected. (Click here to see a related figure.)
5. Change the font settings, as desired.
6. Click on OK.

If you are using Excel 2007 then you can change fonts even easier. Follow these steps:

1. Make sure your chart is visible on the screen and you have selected it. (You do this by clicking on the chart.)
2. Select the text element whose font you wish to change. For instance, if you want to change the chart's title, click on the title. Excel displays small black squares around the element; this lets you know it is selected.
3. Display the Home tab of the ribbon.
4. In the Font group, use the available tools to specify the font characteristics for the element you selected in step 2.