excel 2007 bubble chart colours

**cathr** · 08-27-2008, 01:52 PM

Hi
This is Excel 2007 - so the 2003 solutions I know of don;t work.
I want to both label my bubbles with data from a 4th column (this seems impossible) and also to vary the colours of the bubble by point.
Excel 2007 is driving me insane - there is a check box to vary colours by point when I click a bubble, but it doesn't do anything.

It also only offers the 3 data series to label the bubbles.

On 2003 I would use a scatter chart instead to get around using 4 data colums (ie 3 lots of data and a label) but in 2007, I can't choose bubbles for my scatter chart.
Please help! I wish I'd never bought Office 2007!
Thanks you :-)

**Andy Pope** · 08-27-2008, 03:32 PM

Is this the sort of thing you mean?

**cathr** · 08-28-2008, 05:35 AM

Andy - that's exactly what I mean.

I did, in the end, find a way to change the bubble colours (solid fill), but the data labels still defeat me.
I've looked at your chart and still can't find how you did it - please tell me!

Even better if I can put them as a legend at the bottom of the chart because there are a lot of them and they tend to overlap.
But no matter if that's not possible - you are a genius and I'd love to know how to get the labels on like you did.
Thank you!!!

**cathr** · 08-28-2008, 05:44 AM

Andy - I did it!
I used a text box and put the location of the label into the formula bar and it worked.
Not sure if this is how you did it, but it worked and without your example, I'd never have figured that out so THANK YOU again.
Cath

**Andy Pope** · 08-28-2008, 05:50 AM

Attached is a chart with each set of values as a series. This allows you to have the legend relate to the points.

Using the formula bar to create a link to the data label is how I did it.
Same technique you used with a textbox. But by using the data label the text will follow the bubble when it's x and or y value changes.

There is an addin to make the process of linking data labels to cells very easy.
http://www.appspro.com/Utilities/ChartLabeler.htm

**cathr** · 08-28-2008, 05:57 PM

Thanks again, Andy.
I can't seem to open the excel sheet for some reason (will try again next time I boot up - sometimes it's a bit tempremental).
I've downloaded the labelling add in and will give that a go now too.
Cheers - you've been a great help!
Cath