Text Formatting

You can change text formatting with the Properties window or with the toolbar. The formatting applies to all text in a specific chart item, so you cannot change the text formatting for just a portion of the text. For example, if the text of an axis label is Count of Employment Category, you cannot make only the word "Count" bold. Either all of the text is bold, or none of it is.

How to Format Text

  1. Select a text frame in the chart, such as a text box, annotation, or axis title. Do not select the actual text in the frame. Changes apply to all text in the frame.
  2. If the Properties window is not already displayed, from the menus choose:

    Edit > Properties

  3. Use the Text tab to specify the text formatting.
  4. Click Apply.

Tip

You can also use the Edit toolbar to change the font family, size, weight, type face, and/or color.

Using the Text Tab

Preview. The preview area displays your current choices and shows what the text will look like when you click Apply.

Text. Change the font family, size (in points), and font style. You can use a general family like Serif or SansSerif if you plan to distribute the chart to others who may have different font families on their computers. An appropriate matching font will be used (such as Arial for SansSerif). The Preferred Size and Minimum Size lists apply only when Size is set to Automatic. The Automatic setting allows the Chart Editor to pick a size that is proportional to the overall chart size. It will try to use the Preferred Size setting unless the chart is too small. Then it will reduce the font size as much as needed but without using a size smaller than the Minimum Size setting.

Color. Choose a color for the text:

  1. Click the Text swatch.
  2. Click a color. The swatch changes to the color, and the red, green, and blue settings (R,G,B) appear below the swatch. The color displaying white with a diagonal red line through it is the transparent color. You can customize a color by selecting it and clicking Edit to open a standard dialog box for customizing colors. Use the last row for creating custom colors. Click Reset to revert to the original settings for all colors.