Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Excel in Microsoft 365. If you are using an earlier version (Excel 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Excel, click here: Creating Custom Chart Formats.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated February 2, 2023)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Excel in Microsoft 365
There may be times when the built-in chart formats just don't meet your needs. In these instances, you can always make any changes desired to your chart and then save all the chart settings as a chart template. You can then apply these settings to other charts, and you won't have to go through the long or tedious steps necessary to do all the formatting over again.
To create a chart template, follow these steps if you are using Excel 2007 or Excel 2010:
These steps won't work if you are using Excel 2013 or a later version. The reason is simple: The Save As Template tool has been removed from the Design tab of the ribbon. All is not lost, however. Follow these steps, instead:
Your template is now ready to be used in creating other charts. When you are ready to create a chart and you want to use the template, just display the Insert tab of the ribbon, click the Other Charts tool, and then choose All Chart Types. In the resulting dialog box, you can click on Templates and choose the template you just created.
To create a chart using your template if you are using Excel 2013 or a later version, display the Insert tab of the ribbon and click the small icon in the lower-right corner of the Charts group. Excel displays the Insert Chart dialog box. Make sure the All Charts tab is displayed, click on Templates, and choose the template you just created.
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (8447) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Excel in Microsoft 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Creating Custom Chart Formats.
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