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How to make a scatter plot in Excel?

On more than one occasion we have given you tips to make your slides more attractive, although it is true that, normally, we usually associate these recommendations with PowerPoint. Now, we also have the possibility to optimize the appearance of the spreadsheets. Therefore, if you want to present your data in another way, we teach you how to make a diagram or scatter chart in Excel and improve your presentations.

As you probably already know, Excel diagrams allow you to display data in a more visual way, making your audience understand it faster and better, and making it more graphical when it comes to demonstrating something.

In this sense, the graph known as the scatter diagram is one of the illustrious forgotten ones in Excel, and we not only want you to remember it, but also to start taking advantage of them in all your slides.

If you don’t know what it is about, let us tell you first that the scatter plot exists so that, with a simple graph, we can compare two data sets from plotted points.

Types of scatter charts

Excel provides various kinds of scatterplots depending on how you want to display all the data. Let’s see some of the alternatives that you have at hand, before reviewing the steps to follow:

  • Spread with markers
  • Scatter with smooth lines, with or without markers
  • Scatter with straight lines, with or without markers

That is, we have in total five types of diagrams among which we will be able to select ours.

On the other hand, you will notice in the options of the Scatter chart menu, the possibility of accessing other solutions, such as bubble charts and 3D bubble charts. While similar to traditional bubble charts, they differ in that they use an additional numeric field to determine the size of the points.

How to create a scatter plot in Excel?

If you are already clear about the first steps in Excel, creating a scatter plot should not complicate you.

First of all, you should have your data sets in good condition, in order to check if a scatter plot is the best way to present them, so take care of that if you haven’t solved it so far.

When you have the data sets, you just have to follow these steps to have your scatter chart in Excel:

  • Select the data for your chart, including column headings if desired
  • Go to the Insert tab, and select Insert Scatter or Bubble Chart
  • When the Preview convinces you, click on the graphic to insert it

Customize the scatter plot

With the graph already established, you can see some buttons on the right, from which you will have the possibility to edit aspects such as the elements that make it up, the styles or the filters of the graph.

You can also use the Chart Design tab that is displayed when you select the chart in question, to modify characteristics such as colors or style, rows or columns, or, again, the type of chart.

An interesting alternative is that you put together several scatter diagrams in the same spreadsheet, taking advantage of the fact that Excel puts many colors at your disposal, so as to generate contrasts between them.

In short, the next time you want a graphical visualization of your data and only have a couple of data sets, consider adopting this visual tool, ideal for spreadsheets in general.

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