Tutorial Note: Creating Hand-Drawn Effect Charts in Excel

Objective

• Demonstrate how to design visually distinctive, hand-drawn style charts in Excel for reports, presentations, drafts, or dashboards.

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Prepare Dummy Data

• Enter some random or dummy data that you want to visualize.

2. Insert Your Chart

• Go to Insert
• Choose your preferred chart type (Column, Bar, Area, Pie, etc.)
• Example used: Bar Chart

3. Clean Up Chart Elements

• Remove unnecessary elements (such as axis labels, legends, etc.), especially if this is just a draft.
• For finalized charts, ensure necessary elements like labels are present (typically, Column A: labels, Column B: values).

4. Style the Chart Title

• Select the chart title.
• Change font type to something with a hand-drawn look (e.g., Ink Free in Home tab).
• Adjust font size as desired.

5. Format the Bars (or Series)

• Double-click a bar or use Ctrl + 1 to open Format Data Series pane.
• Under Series Options, reduce Gap Width (e.g., to 50%) to make bars thicker/closer.
• Change Shape Fill to your chosen color.
• Change Shape Outline to match or contrast the fill color.

6. Apply the "Sketched" Outline

• Go to "Format" > "Shape Outline" > select Sketch.
  • Choose a hand-drawn outline style you prefer (e.g., "Scribble").
  • Increase line weight (e.g., to 1pt) for more emphasis.

7. Add and Format Data Labels (Optional)

• Right-click bars > Add data labels.
• Adjust font formatting of labels for consistency with your chart title.

8. Apply the Effect to Other Shapes/Charts

• For other shapes (cards, rectangles, etc.):

  • Insert shape via Illustrations
  • Format with "Shape Outline" > "Sketched" (try styles like "Curved")
  • Adjust "Shape Fill" and add/edit text as desired.
  • Format text (font, size, alignment) for visibility.

• For other chart types (e.g., Donut Chart):

  • Repeat above steps
  • Easily reuse formatting: Select, Ctrl + Shift + C to copy formatting; Ctrl + Shift + B to paste formatting.

9. Use Cases and Flexibility

• Technique can be used for dashboards, presentations to younger audiences, or anytime a less formal, engaging visual is needed.
• All formatting is dynamic; updates to data refresh the visuals automatically.

Key Tips

• The "Sketched" outline is found in Shape Outline under Format.
• Maintain consistency in font style across chart elements for a cohesive look.
• Experiment with colors and outline styles.

Conclusion

• The sketched/hand-drawn visual style helps charts stand out and capture attention.
• The setup is simple and adaptable to various chart types and shapes in Excel.

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Leave a comment with your use case or feedback!