The usual way to change the width of the vertical bars in a Column chart type is to change the gap width (in all versions of Excel, Windows and Mac).
Select the data series by clicking on one of the bars (just to be sure the data series is selected).
Right-click or control-click, and choose Format Data Series from the context menu.
In the Format Data Series dialog box, select Options.
Then change the Gap width.
For wider bars, make the gap width smaller.
For narrower bars, make the gap width larger.
- Mike Middleton, www.TreePlan.com
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Resizing Bar Width in Clustered Column Chart
I'm building a clustered column chart (photo below), and would like to resize the width of the bars in that chart if possible, but I am not having any luck finding a way to do this. I know that othe...
TarcMaylor,
There is no method that could be used to change width of column unless we resize the whole chart to make the column wider. There is also an idea about adjusting blank space, you can vote it up.
Regards,
Thanks for the reply. I was looking for any option *except* for resizing the entire chart though... I'm not looking to change the size of one of the bars, but actually all of them. There is so much wasted, blank space on that chart that it seems like it would make it easier to see the data if all of the columns could be wider. Does it make it any more possible if I'm wanting to change the width of every column and not just one of them?
TarcMaylor,
There is no method that could be used to change width of column unless we resize the whole chart to make the column wider. There is also an idea about adjusting blank space, you can vote it up.
Regards,
"No Method to change the width of the bar chart" This is NOT a solution.
I too am in the same situation - would like to increase the width of the bar charts since there is so much white space.
Jose
A:
The usual way to change the width of the vertical bars in a Column chart type is to change the gap width (in all versions of Excel, Windows and Mac).
Select the data series by clicking on one of the bars (just to be sure the data series is selected).
Right-click or control-click, and choose Format Data Series from the context menu.
In the Format Data Series dialog box, select Options.
Then change the Gap width.
For wider bars, make the gap width smaller.
For narrower bars, make the gap width larger.
- Mike Middleton, www.TreePlan.com
What everyone that is asking for this wants to do is to control the use of white space around a chart _and_ the width of the bars. This is a very reasonable thing to ask because without it the charts are not balanced in the amount of space they use -- for example, a chart with only 5 bars, if displayed in a larger width area, will be centered and have an unusual amount of white space around it, yes the bars will be bigger, but I want them over to the left, not centered, and I want them much wider than they will be if I shrink the width of the whole chart.
I am finding that all of the suggestions, do not work for the most part. In Excel, one can easily make each column wider and reduce the amount of white space on the graph. Though dynamic, the visuals are very limited and very frustrating when trying to make visually appealing. Changes and formatting should not be this complicated. I wish I could increase the width of my columns to the size of the visual at the top of this page.
