Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated June 26, 2021)
This tip applies to Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003
Excel includes an impressive graphing capability that can turn the dullest data into outstanding charts, complete with all sorts of whiz-bang do-dads to amaze your friends and confound your enemies. While Excel can automatically handle many of the mundane tasks associated with turning raw data into a chart, you may still want to change some elements of your chart.
For instance, you may want to change the scale Excel uses along an axis of your chart. (The scale automatically chosen by Excel may not represent the entire universe of possibilities you want conveyed in your chart.) You can change the scale used by Excel by following these steps:
Figure 1. The Scale tab of the Format Axis dialog box.
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (3031) applies to Microsoft Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Excel (Excel 2007 and later) here: Changing the Axis Scale.
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