UNIVERSAL CHART FORMATTING RULES

REMOVE BORDERS AND OUTLINES BY DEFAULT

Borders and outlines often add visual noise without adding meaning.

Apply this rule to:

● Text boxes

● Shapes

● Bars and columns

● Other chart elements unless a border serves a clear purpose

How to remove them:

● Select the element; right click

● Format Shape/Data Series →Select Shape/Series Option

● Select Line/Border → No Line

USE COLOR INTENTIONALLY

Color should guide attention, not decorate.

● Use stronger or brighter colors to emphasize what matters most

● Use muted or neutral colors for context or background data

● Avoid using multiple bright colors unless they serve a clear comparison

ALIGN ELEMENTS DELIBERATELY

● Chart titles should be flush left

● Align text boxes with each other and with the chart edges

● Avoid “almost aligned” elements 

Use Format → Align to line things up cleanly

DO A FINAL VISUAL CHECK

Before you are done adapting your viz template, take a moment to scan for:

● Overlapping text or labels

● Misaligned elements

● Unnecessary borders or effects

● Anything that distracts from the main takeaway

THE PROBLEM

When you update a chart template with new data, the axis boundaries don’t always adjust correctly. This can cause two common issues on either axis:

● When your data extends beyond the current axis range, the chart may not show all your values

● When your data values are much smaller than the axis range, there is too much empty space 

HOW TO FIX IT

❶ Select the chart area

Click anywhere inside the chart (not the title or labels)

❷ Turn the axis back on(if hidden)

Click the ➕ Chart Elements icon at the top right corner of the viz

● Check Axes

● Click the arrow on the right near Axes

● Select the axis you need to adjust:

● Primary Horizontal (X-axis) or

● Primary Vertical (Y-axis) 

❸ Open the Format Axis panel

● Right-click on the axis you want to adjust

● Select Format Axis

❹ Adjust the axis Bounds to fit your data

In the Format Axis pane on the right:

● Under Axis, locate Bounds

● Manually change the Minimumand/orMaximum values to cover your highest and lowest data points.

The chart will update immediately as you make changes.

❺ If your viz does not need axis labels, hide the axis.

● Select the axis

● Press Delete, or uncheck it underChart Elements → Axes

WHERE SHOULD YOUR AXIS START?

WHEN TO START AT ZERO:

For charts that show size or magnitude, starting at zero is important.

● Bar and column charts should always start at zero 

● This ensures that differences in bar length accurately reflect the data 

Starting above zero in these cases can make small differences look much larger than they actually are.

WHEN IT MAY NOT NEED TO START AT ZERO:

In some cases, starting at zero is not necessary and may make patterns harder to see.

● Line charts or trends data

● Data with a narrow range of values

In these cases, using a non-zero baseline can help highlight meaningful changes that would otherwise be hard to see.

This could be:

● A historical minimum

● A typical range

● A meaningful threshold or decision point

WHERE SHOULD YOUR AXIS END?

Your axis should extend just far enough to include your highest value, with a small amount of space above it.

● Avoid cutting off the highest data point 

● Avoid leaving large amounts of empty space above the data 

● Aim for a range that feels balanced and intentional 

If the axis extends too far beyond your data, the chart can feel compressed and patterns become harder to see.