Chart Maker
Enter labels and numbers to get a bar, line or pie chart image, or paste a spreadsheet table to draw several series.
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Chart Maker: complete guide
Walk through the steps and examples, or jump straight to the topic you need.
At a glance
- Input
- Enter one label and number per line, up to 40 lines. Labels can be up to 30 characters, and if there are several number columns, up to 6 series are drawn.
- Types
- Choose a bar, line, or pie chart, and bars can be drawn stacked by series.
- Accuracy rules
- The base of a bar is always 0. A pie chart does not accept negative values or a total of 0, and splits only the first series.
- Ticks and numbers
- Ticks are cut only at multiples of 1, 2, and 5, and numbers with thousands commas such as 1,234 are read too.
- Saving
- Save as PNG (twice the screen size) or SVG. You can choose a color set (Basic, Ocean, Pastel, Black & white) and colors for each series.
How to use Chart Maker
Enter labels and numbers
In the "Labels and numbers" field, write something like "Jan 120" or paste an Excel table as it is. A first line without numbers becomes the series names.
Choose the chart type
Choose from bar, line, and pie. With several series, "Stack bars (series total)" lets you see the totals.
Set the title and colors
The title, horizontal axis title, and vertical axis title can be left empty. Choose "Show values," a color set, and colors for each series.
Save it as an image
Press "Save as PNG" or "Save as SVG." The chart you see on screen is saved as it is.
What it’s good for
It keeps the picture from departing from the facts
The worst mistake a chart can make is to show something different from the facts. The eye trusts length and area as they are, so if a value is twice as big but the bar looks three times as long, the viewer draws the wrong conclusion. That is why the base of a bar is always zero. If you cut the base and raise it, a small difference looks like a large one. A pie slice is exactly proportional to its value, and all the slices add up to one full circle. These rules are not just stated in words; they are pinned down by tests.
A pie chart doesn't accept negative values
If you put a negative value in a pie chart, the slice angle flips and overlaps other slices. Because that would make the picture lie, it is blocked outright and you are told to use a bar or line chart. A case where all the values add up to 0 is also blocked because it can't be divided.
Numbers are read exactly as written
A number with thousands commas such as 1,234 is read as it is. Reading it as 1 would make the bar length wrong by a factor of a thousand. Even when a name contains a number, as in Gangnam Branch 2 12, only the last one is taken as the value. Axis ticks are cut only at multiples of 1, 2, and 5, so hard-to-read ticks like 17.3333 don't appear.
Worked examples
The on-screen example as is
Jan 120
Feb 185
Mar 143
Apr 2104 items · total 658 · largest 210
Vertical ticks 0, 50, 100, 150, 200, 250Several series and thousands numbers
Month,Sales,Cost
Jan,100,80
Feb,"1,250",902 items · 2 series (Sales, Cost)
Feb sales 1250Commas used without quotes
Jan,1,234Jan values 1 and 234 (2 series)
Notice: commas were read as column separatorsChoosing a chart type
Swipe the table sideways to see the rest.
| Type | Good for | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Bar | Comparing sizes between items | The base is 0, so small differences look small. |
| Line | Values with a trend, such as by month or year | Drawing several series together makes it easy to compare trends. |
| Pie | Each part's share of the whole | Negative values and a total of 0 are not accepted, and only the first series is split. |
When the result isn’t what you expected
It says negative values can't go in a pie chart
The slice angle would flip and the picture would depart from the facts. Switch to a bar or line chart.
It says it left out lines whose numbers couldn't be read
Those are lines with an empty number cell or text mixed in. Check the number of lines in "Left out n lines" and fix the original values.
Only 6 value columns were drawn
The limit is 6 series. Make a separate chart for the remaining columns, or keep only the series you really need.
Key terms
- Series
- A group of values that continues under the same name. As with Sales and Cost, one column is one series.
- Tick
- A reference value written on the vertical axis. For readability, it is cut only at multiples of 1, 2, and 5.
- Stacked bar
- A bar that stacks the series values upward to show a total for each item.
Chart Maker FAQ
Can't I add an Excel file?
For now you paste in labels and numbers. If you copy two columns from Excel and paste them, they are separated by tabs and read as they are.
The saved picture looks blurry
It is saved at twice the screen size, so it stays crisp even when you enlarge it in a document. If you need it larger, let us know.
Are my values uploaded to a server?
No. Both the chart and the saved file are made inside this browser.
Can I cut the bottom of the bars to make the differences look bigger?
No. Cutting and raising the base makes small differences look big and distorts the facts, so the base of a bar is always 0.
Should I save as PNG or SVG?
PNG is handy for pasting straight into documents or messengers, and SVG is handy for editing in a design program or enlarging a lot.