Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated August 12, 2023)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Excel in Microsoft 365
John created a radar chart that includes 360 data points, one for each of the 360 degrees in the chart. Excel adds radial grid lines for each of those data points, but John would prefer to have a grid line only every 10 degrees in the chart. He wonders how he can customize the chart to reflect the desired grid lines.
There is no way to accomplish this task that we've been able to discover. A radar chart, as implemented by Excel, is a "circular" version of a line chart. Just as the horizontal axis of a line chart has one mark per data point, the radar chart has one spoke per data point.
There are other types of circular charts supported by Excel, and a different one may be more suitable for the way you want data represented. One good possibility is a polar plot. For good discussion of how you might go about this, see this blog post by Jon Peltier:
http://peltiertech.com/polar-plot-excel/
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (11190) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Excel in Microsoft 365.
Dive Deep into Macros! Make Excel do things you thought were impossible, discover techniques you won't find anywhere else, and create powerful automated reports. Bill Jelen and Tracy Syrstad help you instantly visualize information to make it actionable. You’ll find step-by-step instructions, real-world case studies, and 50 workbooks packed with examples and solutions. Check out Microsoft Excel 2019 VBA and Macros today!
Sometimes it is helpful to add annotations to your charts in order to explain the data displayed. This tip provides ...
Discover MoreWant to change an existing bar chart to a different type of chart, such as a line chart or a column chart? It's easy to ...
Discover MoreA common place to use Excel charts is in your PowerPoint presentations. How you paste those charts into the presentation ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)
Got a version of Excel that uses the ribbon interface (Excel 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the menu interface.
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Comments