Chart Formatting

**AlisonK** · 06-04-2011, 10:56 PM

Hi,

I hope someone can help with this! I have already spent a few hours trying to figure it out!
The first attachment is how the chart looks in the workbook - this is how it should look, with the box around the dates all nicely aligned.

The second attachment is when I do a print preview - the little box around the dates jumps up a bit and is now out of alignment. Why is it doing this?

I have done these charts for years, and produce other workbooks just like this without this issue, so I have no idea why its suddenly not 'print previewing' exactly how it shows on the sheet.

I have tried various things, like putting objects forward, selecting different things under 'object positioning' - like "move and size with cells" (whatever that means!?)
Any ideas???

My only option for now is to position the box and labels far below where they should be, then it will print out looking ok. Not ideal really...

One thing I noticed about charts - there is a "chart area" (which incudes the chart plus all the chart headers etc) and a "plot area" (which is JUST the graph itself) - on this one, the plot area is not positioned right at the bottom of the chart area like it is on my other workbooks. In other words, when I select the chart area, the little black selection squares appear further down from the bottom of the plot area. And when I move the chart area up, the plot area moves with it.
Not sure if this is relevent or not....Is there a way of positioning the plot area in the chart area?

I'm still using excel 2003 for these for compatibility reasons...

TIA

alison

**Andy Pope** · 06-05-2011, 06:19 AM

You need to post an example workbook so we can investigate the chart. Can not do that with pictures.

**teylyn** · 06-05-2011, 06:45 AM

Printer driver issue, maybe? Make sure you have the latest printer drivers.

**AlisonK** · 06-05-2011, 08:43 AM

Hi ! Thanks for the responses!

Can't be a printer driver issue as I have other workbooks which work just fine. I send these off to someone else, and they are experiencing the same problem.

I'm not sure if I can attach the whole workbook, as these charts contain confidential data from our client (they are for work)...I'll need to find out if I can do that or not...

I'll post back in a day or 2. Maybe I can clear all the data and post it like that...

Thanks anyway!

**Andy Pope** · 06-05-2011, 08:48 AM

We only need an example.

If you can not replicate with a small data set then desensitize the data. Change text the xx and use random values.

**AlisonK** · 06-05-2011, 08:59 AM

Hi Andy,

ok, I cleared/deleted all titles that would give anything away :-)

You can see the 4 charts on page 1 all have the 'monthly data / weekly data' object lined up, but when you hit print preview, they are all out. You can click on it and right click - hit ungroup and it will separate out the elements.

I really appreciate your helping with this!

Alison

**Andy Pope** · 06-05-2011, 09:19 AM

Have you check previously created workbooks to see if they are still aligning correctly?

Rather than using additional shapes have you considered using multi level axis labels?

**AlisonK** · 06-05-2011, 10:42 AM

yes, this problem appeared on this particular workbook several weeks ago, previously it was fine. I use the previous week's workbook as a template for the following week.

I have been updating these every week for 2 years, and I've never encountered this before.

I'm not sure what multi level axis labels are? I'll google it :-)

If I change something on one of these, I'll have to change it on all of them, currently there are 15 other workbooks.

Ideally, Id like to find out why its doing this, and if this is fixable before I start changing things. (I was not the original creator of these)

Thanks anyway!

**Andy Pope** · 06-05-2011, 10:58 AM

The attached has an example of multilevel labels in 1 of the charts.
Basically the category label range has 2 rows rather than 1 and the text is centered below groupings.

The other chart has a dummy data series with zero value and data labels used to mimic the axis. Invididual data labels can then be coloured.

You would need to compare the setup of the workbook with one that does not have the alignment issue to isolate the change.

**AlisonK** · 06-05-2011, 11:05 AM

Thanks Andy,

Those both look like they could be good options.

I'm sending out another set of these tomorrow, so it will have to be for future weeks. For now I will just position the label below where it should be, so the print preview looks correct.

Thanks again for helping!