Customize a Gauge Chart

When you create a gauge chart, you can choose from a variety of chart templates, which offer different shape, axis, and border options.

You can customize the following aspects of your gauge chart. As you modify properties, the chart preview shows you what your chart will look like.

parts of a gauge chart

Unless indicated in the user interface, all sizes are a percentage of the maximum allowed.

If your gauge chart includes a border, long axis labels, such as 250,000,000, may overlap the gauge border and be difficult to read. To avoid this problem, customize the data format of your gauge chart measure and reduce the scale so that less zeros are displayed. Or change the gauge border color or size or remove the border.

Procedure

  1. Click the gauge chart object.
  2. If you want to change the shape of the gauge, modify the start and end angles of the gauge axes and border, as follows:
    1. In the Properties pane, under General, double-click the Gauge Axes property and specify the start and end angles and the direction of the axes.
    2. Double-click the Gauge Border property and specify the style and the start and end angles of the border.

      For example, a border start angle of 0 degrees and end angle of 180 degrees produces a semi-circular gauge.

  3. If you want to add an additional axes to a gauge chart, do the following:
    1. In the Properties pane, under General, double-click the Gauge Axes property.
    2. Click the new icon new icon and specify the start and end angles and the direction of the new axis.
  4. If you want to change the size, shape, and color of the center pivot point, double-click the Gauge Pivot property and specify the style.
  5. If you want to change the indicators in the gauge axis, click the Gauge Axis object in the chart and do the following:
    1. To change the needle, under Axes, double-click the Gauge Needle property and specify the style.
    2. To change, add, or remove color bands that indicate the data range positions, under Color & Background, double-click the Gauge Axis Colors property and specify the color palette.
    3. If you want to change the size or thickness of the gauge axis and color bands, under Axes, specify a percentage size for the Gauge Axis Inner Radius and Gauge Axis Outer Radius properties.
    4. If you want to change the grid lines, under General, double-click the Gridlines or Minor Gridlines properties and specify the style.
    5. If you want to change the appearance of the gauge axis line, under General, double-click Axis Line.