Clustered column chart problem

[Fusilier2]

I've just created a clustered column visual:

However, if I add a legend it changes to this:

Whick looks awful. How do I get the chart to look like the original but just with coloured bars? I've playesd around with the settings to no avail.

[Elena_Kalina · Accepted solution]

Hi @Fusilier2 

Use Conditional Formatting Instead of a Legend

1. Remove the legend from your visual

2. Right-click the visual → "Format"

3. Go to "Columns" → "Colors"

4. Select "Conditional formatting"

5. Choose your color logic (e.g., by measure value or category threshold)

If this post helps, then please consider Accepting as solution to help the other members find it more quickly, don't forget to give a "Kudos" – I’d truly appreciate it! 

Thank you.

[Bibiano_Geraldo · Accepted solution]

Hi @Fusilier2 ,

When you add a legend to a clustered column chart in Power BI, the chart automatically splits the bars by that legend. This means:

• Instead of one solid bar per category, you get multiple smaller bars side-by-side.

• Each small bar has a different color to show which part of the legend it belongs to.

• This helps viewers see how the data breaks down by the legend categories.

So, the colors change automatically to help identify each legend segment visually.

If you want to keep the chart looking like the original with just one bar per category and all bars the same color then you should remove the legend from the visual.

Because:

• The legend’s purpose is to show and separate data by groups.

• If you don’t want to segment your data by those groups, then the legend is not needed.

• Keeping a legend without segmenting the data is confusing, because it suggests there are different groups when visually there aren’t.

Summary:

• Adding a legend breaks the bars into segments and colors each segment differently.

• Removing the legend keeps one solid bar per category, all with the same color.

• Think about what you want to show: If you want to highlight data segments, keep the legend. If you want a simple chart with one bar per category, remove the legend.

[Elena_Kalina · Accepted solution]

Hi @Fusilier2 

Use Conditional Formatting Instead of a Legend

1. Remove the legend from your visual

2. Right-click the visual → "Format"

3. Go to "Columns" → "Colors"

4. Select "Conditional formatting"

5. Choose your color logic (e.g., by measure value or category threshold)

If this post helps, then please consider Accepting as solution to help the other members find it more quickly, don't forget to give a "Kudos" – I’d truly appreciate it! 

Thank you.