Chart with 2 x-axis labels

**Bob77** · 02-08-2013, 10:22 AM

Can someoone body please help me - I know the very basics of Excel only and have been working all day on trying to emulate this chart in Excel.

chart example.JPG

I have rows of dates in column A with values in column B - I can plot this ok and use the mmm format to display only the abbreviated monht on the x axis.

The table does not have a row for every consecutive date and I need to preserve the date gaps in the chart.

How do I get the YEAR shown as a second X-axis label ?

I've been working on this all day and having read lots of forums I still can'tr find a solution that either works or that I can understand.

Thank you so much.

Bob.

**Andy Pope** · 02-09-2013, 07:01 AM

Use 2 series and set the min/max of both series to be beginning of a year.

**Bob77** · 02-09-2013, 08:17 AM

Andy

Thank you very much for replying.

I have tried to do exactly whet you have done. Created a new series, set up my 3 years with 0 values and plotted that - but get different results.

Here is my data:

Can you do your magic and repost please.

I need to preserve the gaps in the dates

Thank you so much for your help.

Bob

**newdoverman** · 02-09-2013, 12:41 PM

Click on the X axis (horizontal axis) and select Format Axis. Click on Alignment, then Rotate the text to the orientation that you want.

Click in the Plot Area to select it and then with the mouse, grab the centre sizing handle and move it up to create space under the chart so that there is space to add the years.

To get the years displayed under the months, click on the Layout Tab, and Text Box. Draw a text box and enter 1941. Select the text box and hold down the Ctrl key and click on the border of the text box to copy the text box. Drag to the position you want. Repeat to create the third text box.

Select each Text box while holding down the Shift key to select all the text boxes. Click on the Format Tab, Alignment, Align Bottom.

**Andy Pope** · 02-09-2013, 12:45 PM

I've left the columns formated so you can see the series.

**Bob77** · 02-09-2013, 03:36 PM

Andy Pope - thank you very much indeed.

So sorry to be such a chump.

My problem is that I don't know enough about Excel. I didn't even know about adding a secondary axis - but from your example I've now got my original working.

Can't thank you enough Andy - your help is hugely appreciated.

All the best

Bob