Charting with a Large Number of Data Set Formats

Alfredo is using Excel to plot a large number of XY data sets and needs to have different formatting to allow identification. However, there seems to be a hard stop at 14 formats. At or over 14, every time Alfredo changes the format of one data set another one gets messed up.

It appears that this 14-format limitation seems to be associated with automatic formatting used by Excel for data series. In other words, if you allow Excel to automatically assign formatting to a large number of data series, then you'll get duplications after a while.

If you notice duplication happening, it is typically better to manually apply the formatting you want. In order to do that, you'll need to right-click on each data series in your chart and choose Format Data Series from the resulting Context menu. This displays a task pane at the right side of the chart, and you can use the controls in the task pane to specify how you want the data series formatted.

This obviously will take some time, as you must do this for each of your data series. If you have a chart that has 50 or 60 data series, you'll need to format each of them individually. That also means you'll need to figure out what changes in each of the data series—line, dot, colors, effects, etc. (You may want to document all the combinations you need in a worksheet before you actually start your formatting journey.)

If you don't want to undertake such an arduous formatting task, you might consider "cheating" and creating charts that you can overlay. For instance, you could create a chart for the first ten data series. Once you get it just right, make copies of the chart to use with your remaining data series. All you need to do on the copied charts is change the data used in the chart. Each chart could use formatting that is different from other charts by one attribute. For instance, one chart could use solid lines and the next could use dashed, another dotted, and so on.

Once the charts are done, and provided you don't change the sizing, you can make sure that the background of each chart is transparent and then overlay them on top of each other. You may have to adjust the position of the legend as you add each chart, but they should "meld" into a composite that provides the look you want.

Such an approach will obviously take trial and error, but it may be less arduous than modifying the formatting of dozens of data sets within a single chart.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (5844) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, 2024, and Excel in Microsoft 365.