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Making the Most of Your Gantt Chart Template in PowerPoint

Gantt charts are a great way to visualize project timelines and track progress. They can help you stay organized, on top of tasks, and ensure that your projects are completed on time. Fortunately, creating a Gantt chart in PowerPoint is easy with the help of templates. Here are some tips for making the most of your Gantt chart template in PowerPoint.

Customizing Your Chart

The first step to making the most of your Gantt chart template is to customize it to fit your project’s needs. Start by adding the tasks that need to be completed and setting deadlines for each task. You can also add notes or descriptions for each task if needed. Once you have all the tasks and deadlines added, you can adjust the timeline accordingly. This will help you keep track of where each task stands in relation to other tasks and ensure that everything is on track.

Adding Visuals

Another way to make the most of your Gantt chart template is by adding visuals. This can help make the chart more visually appealing and easier to understand at a glance. For example, you can add icons or images next to each task to represent its status or progress. You can also use different colors or shapes to indicate different types of tasks or milestones. This will help make it easier for everyone involved in the project to understand what’s going on at a glance.

Sharing Your Chart

Finally, once you’ve customized your Gantt chart template and added visuals, you’ll want to share it with everyone involved in the project. Fortunately, this is easy with PowerPoint’s sharing options. You can share your chart via email or even post it online so everyone has access to it at all times. This will help keep everyone on the same page and ensure that everyone is working towards a common goal.

Creating a Gantt chart in PowerPoint doesn’t have to be difficult or time-consuming thanks to templates. By customizing your template, adding visuals, and sharing it with everyone involved, you can make sure that your project stays on track and is completed on time.

This text was generated using a large language model, and select text has been reviewed and moderated for purposes such as readability.

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• Charts and Graphs

Chart Data Labels in PowerPoint 2013 for Windows

Learn how to add data labels within charts in PowerPoint 2013 for Windows. Data labels can be positioned within or outside the series as needed.

Author: Geetesh Bajaj

Product/Version: PowerPoint 2013 for Windows

OS: Microsoft Windows 7 and higher

Date Created: September 3, 2014 Last Updated: September 3, 2014

Learn PowerPoint

Explore how they are different: PPT vs. PPS (or PPTX vs. PPSX)

In a PowerPoint chart, data labels are used to display various types of information. You can display the value, and/or the name of the chart series, and/or the categories right within or above the series on the chart. Adding data labels can help the presenter reveal exact values along with the series, so that he or she need not check on the Value axis to ascertain approximate values of any series. In a default PowerPoint chart, you won't be able to see the data labels enabled, as shown in Figure 1 , below.

In this tutorial, let us learn how to add data labels to a chart. To begin, you need a chart inserted and selected as shown in Figure 1 , above. Then follow these steps in PowerPoint 2013 for Windows :

• Select the chart on your slide as shown in Figure 1 , above. This brings up two Charts Tools contextual tabs of the Ribbon . Select the Design tab, highlighted in red within Figure 2 , below. Then, click the Add Chart Element button, shown highlighted in blue within Figure 2 . Doing so opens a drop-down gallery as shown in Figure 2 . Within this drop-down gallery, select the Data Labels option to open a sub-gallery which includes various options for the data labels, as shown highlighted in green within Figure 2 .

• Alternatively, you can select the chart and click the Chart Elements button (the plus sign highlighted in red within Figure 3 ). Doing so opens the Chart Elements gallery. Within the Chart Elements gallery, hover your cursor over the Data Labels option. This action brings up a right-arrow as shown highlighted in blue within Figure 3 . Click this right-arrow to open the Data Labels sub-gallery, as shown highlighted in green within Figure 3 , below, which includes various options for the data labels.

• Both Data Labels sub galleries shown in Figures 2 and 3 offer almost the options, except that the latter gallery does not provide the None option. However, if the check box next to the Data Labels option is not selected, as shown highlighted in orange within Figure 3 , then, that is equal to selecting the None option.
• Let us now explore options within the Data Labels sub-galleries:
• Selected by default, this option removes any existing data labels from the chart. Your chart may appear like what you saw in Figure 1 , shown previously on this page.
• When you select this option, data labels are placed in such a position that they overlap the series at the center, as shown in Figure 4 , below.

C. Inside End

• When you select this option, data labels are placed overlapping the series at the top area, as shown in Figure 5 , below.

D. Inside Base

• When you select this option, data labels overlap the series at the bottom area, as shown in Figure 6 , below.

E. Outside End

• Places data labels at the top of each series, as shown in Figure 7 , below.

F. Data Callout

• Places data labels at the top of each series and adds a rectangular callout around each of them, as shown in Figure 8 , below. This is a new option in PowerPoint 2013 for Windows. Learn more about this option in our Chart Data Callouts in PowerPoint 2013 for Windows tutorial. You can also change the shape of the data callout from a simple rectangle to any other shape as explained in our Change Callout Shapes for Data Labels in PowerPoint 2013 for Windows tutorial.

G. More Data Label Options (More Options)

• Summons the Format Data Labels Task Pane that provides you with various options to customize the appearance of your data labels, as shown in Figure 9 , below. Options within this Task Pane are explained in our Format Data Label Options for Charts in PowerPoint 2013 for Windows tutorial.

• Select the data label options as required to add Data Labels to your chart.
• Save your presentation.

Chart Data Labels: Chart Data Labels (Glossary Page)

Chart Data Labels in PowerPoint 2011 for Mac

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• 6. Text labels
• Text labels

think-cell takes care of correct and readable labeling. Avoid using PowerPoint text boxes to label your charts as they will be ignored by think-cell’s automatic label placement. When you create labels from think-cell’s context menu, the default content is taken from the datasheet or calculated by the program (in the case of column totals, averages, and the like).

In addition, you can always enter additional text or replace the default text inside think-cell’s automatic labels. When a label is selected, you can start typing, overwriting the current text. If you want to keep the existing text, enter text editing mode by pressing F2 and use the cursor keys and Home / End keys to navigate within the label text. This section explains how think-cell’s labels work in detail.

6.1 Types of labels

Here is a list of labels that are supported for different types of charts, and the buttons in the context menu to add or remove them:

Note: Column includes stacked chart, clustered chart, 100% chart, Mekko chart, waterfall chart, and their rotated variations. Scatter includes bubble chart.

Additionally, some chart decorations also support labels:

6.2 Automatic label placement

When using think-cell, labels are automatically placed at their appropriate positions. A number of built-in rules ensures that labels are always placed for easy readability and pleasant aesthetics. These rules are specific to the chart type and to the type of the label in question. Here are some examples.

For segment labels in column charts:

• If there is enough space, place all labels centered.
• If a label is larger than the segment it belongs to, put a colored rectangle underneath the label.
• If two labels are too close together, offset one to the left and the other to the right.
• If there is not enough space inside a segment, place the label outside the segment and add a line that points to the related segment.

For inside labels in pie charts:

• If there is enough space, place them as close to the segment’s outside border as possible.
• If two labels are too close together, offset one of them towards the center of the pie.

6.3 Manual label placement

In general, think-cell automatically places all labels at appropriate positions. If a label can be placed at multiple positions, you can manually change think-cell’s placement decision:

• Select the label. If a drag icon appears at the lower right corner of the selection then this indicates that there are alternative locations for the label.
• Drag the selection frame or the drag icon with the mouse. While you are dragging, available locations highlight, and the blue selection frame jumps to these locations.
• Drop the label at the desired location.

Labels that do not show the drag icon when selected, do not offer alternative locations.

When manually placing a series label, alternative locations for the label will include any existing legend ( Legend ) for the chart.

Once you have manually placed a label at a specific position, think-cell will respect your decision and maintain the label’s position even when the chart layout changes.

Note: You can also drag multiple labels at the same time. To do so, use multi-selection ( Multi-selection ) and move one of the selected labels as a representative.

6.3.1 Label rotation

Many labels can be rotated by 90 degrees to the right or to the left. To rotate a label, select it and choose the desired rotation from the context toolbar.

Labels that do not show the rotation button in their context toolbar cannot be rotated.

Note: You can also rotate multiple labels at the same time. To do so, use multi-selection ( Multi-selection ) and rotate one of the selected labels as a representative.

6.4 Text fields

You can add arbitrary text to all labels that are created with think-cell. The numbers in the labels are updated whenever the datasheet changes, even when the label contains extra text. This is particularly convenient for annotations or footnote marks. To use this function, simply type into the text box as usual.

When you move the cursor or select text, you will notice that the numbers from the datasheet behave like a single character. This concept is called a text field . You can either overwrite the text field or add text before or after it, but you cannot change it. Any numbers that are based on the datasheet and are displayed in chart labels, are created as text fields. Each text field refers to a certain number created from the Excel data. This could be a single cell in the datasheet or a calculation involving multiple cells. Whenever the data source of the text field is changed, the numbers in the label are updated to reflect the change.

As long as you do not delete or overwrite a label’s text field, the numbers in the text box are kept consistent with the numbers in the datasheet. You may, however, choose to delete the field and replace it with some other text or numbers. In this case, the text in the label will no longer be updated.

To reset a label and (re-)insert text fields, use the label content control ( Label content ) or simply click on the exclamation mark, if there is one.

Note: Alt + Enter can be used to add line breaks to text in the datasheet while F7 can be used to spell-check datasheet text.

6.5 Text label property controls

The font control applies to all text labels. Click on a font to change the setting of the selected features. When you change the font for the element, all text that is later created within the same element adopts the new font.

6.5.2 Font color

The font color control applies to all text labels. Select a color to apply to the selected labels. Please note that think-cell usually selects an appropriate font color automatically to maximize contrast to the labels background. When the font color is selected explicitly, the label may become hard to read when in front of a background with a similar color. To let think-cell control the font color again, remove the label and add it back in.

6.5.3 Number format

The number format control applies to text fields that display chart data. To use the number format control, enter an example number with the desired format. The actual number you enter is not important, it is only the number format that matters. The dropdown box provides quick access to the most common formats. Also, up to four of your most recently used custom formats are available in the dropdown box. Absolute and relative values can have different formats.

You can use the following punctuation characters for the grouping of thousands: comma, point, single prime and space. For the decimal point, you can use: point, comma and Arabic decimal separator. However, you cannot use the same character for the grouping of thousands and the decimal point.

For example:

• Type 1.000,00 to display numbers with a comma for the decimal point, with two decimal places, and thousands separated by points.
• Type 1000 to display integer numbers with no grouping.
• You can add arbitrary prefixes and suffixes, with or without spacing: $1.2M
• If you want all numbers to be signed, select a positive number and enter a leading or trailing plus: +1,234
• Type -USD 1,234 to place the algebraic sign in front of the currency, type EUR -1.234 to place it in front of the value.
• With a negative number selected, remove the minus sign and enclose everything including prefix and suffix in brackets, e.g. (1,2M) to display bracketed negative values. If only a prefix or suffix is enclosed then the brackets are taken as literal characters, e.g. 1,234 (metric tons) .
• Type – 1,234 with a leading en dash to replace all minuses with en dashes.

think-cell can also use a number format that has been set in Excel. To use this, first choose the desired number format in Excel using the Format Cells... dialog and then select Use Excel Format from the bottom of think-cell’s number format control.

In the context of currency, some people use single prime as a symbol for million and double prime as a symbol for billion. If you want to use this convention with think-cell, start with entering millions into the datasheet or use the magnitude control to show the values in units of millions (see Magnitude ). Then, enter the appropriate format string into the number format control. If you do not use the single prime in the format string, the numbers followed by a double prime always represent billions—even if there are no more numbers following the double prime.

Consider the number 3842.23 (or the number 3842230000 combined with a magnitude setting of ×10 6 ).

6.5.4 Magnitude

Values from data sources often have magnitudes that are not appropriate for data presentation. In think-cell, you can solve this problem by altering the magnitude of the labels without changing the data source.

Here is a simple example: Your Excel table is filled with seven-digit values (e.g. 3,600,000.00) but you would prefer to show values in units of millions. Simply select ×10 6 from the floating toolbar and the labels will show the appropriately scaled values.

6.5.5 Label content

Most labels have a label content control. Use the control to choose text fields with which to fill the label. For example, the segment labels in the column chart can show absolute values and/or percentages. (For details about filling in the datasheet refer to Absolute and relative values .)

Some labels only have one entry in this dropdown box. You can use it to restore the label’s text field if it was deleted.

6.6 Pasting text into multiple labels

With think-cell, creating data driven charts is quick and easy, but you still have to type the text. If you already have it available in some table or text file, think-cell can help you there, too.

The text may be in a file in Microsoft Excel or Microsoft Word or in any other kind of text file. In Excel, labels are naturally separated into table cells. In plain text files, labels should be organized in columns (separated by line breaks) or in rows (separated by tab characters).

Pasting multi-selections is not only possible with chart labels but can also be used with any native PowerPoint shape.

• Multi-select the shapes or labels that you want to fill with text. For more tips on multi-selection, refer to Multi-selection .

If the text from the source is properly separated by line breaks and/or tab characters, each of the selected shapes or labels in PowerPoint receives the corresponding text from the clipboard.

Introduction

• 1. Search in manual
• 2. Installation and update
• 3. Basic concepts
• 4. Introduction to charting
• 5. Data entry
• 7. Column, line and area chart
• 8. Chart decorations
• 9. Waterfall chart
• 10. Mekko chart
• 11. Pie and doughnut chart
• 12. Scatter chart and bubble chart
• 13. Gantt chart (timeline)
• 14. Introduction to layout
• 15. Text boxes
• 16. Process flow
• 20. Presentation tools

External data

• 21. Excel data links
• 22. Excel tools
• 23. Tableau data
• 24. Introduction to automation
• 25. Automation with Excel data
• 26. Automation with JSON data
• A. Deployment guide
• B. Exchanging files with PowerPoint
• C. Customizing think-cell
• D. Style file format
• E. Keyboard shortcuts
• F. API documentation

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Change the data series in a chart

After you create a chart , you can change the data series in two ways:

Use the Select Data Source dialog box to edit the data in your series or rearrange them on your chart.

Use chart filters to show or hide data in your chart.

Edit or rearrange a series

Right-click your chart, and then choose Select Data .

In the Legend Entries (Series) box, click the series you want to change.

Click Edit , make your changes, and click OK .

Changes you make may break links to the source data on the worksheet.

You can also add a data series or remove them in this dialog box by clicking Add or Remove . Removing a data series deletes it from the chart—you can’t use chart filters to show it again.

If you want to rename a data series, see Rename a data series .

Filter data in your chart

Let’s start with chart filters.

Click anywhere in your chart.

On the Values tab, check or uncheck the series or categories you want to show or hide.

Click Apply .

If you want to edit or rearrange the data in your series, click Select Data , and then follow steps 2-4 in the next section.

Click on the chart.

On the ribbon, click Chart Design and then click Select Data .

This selects the data range of the chart and displays the Select Data Source dialog box.

To edit a legend series, in the Legend entries (series) box, click the series you want to change. Then, edit the Name and Y values boxes to make any changes.

Note:  Changes you make may break links to the source data on the worksheet.

In Word and PowerPoint: Select your chart and then on the Chart Design tab, click Edit Data in Excel .

In Excel, select the category title and then in the Home tab, click Sort & Filter > Filter .

Next, click the drop-down arrow to select the data you want to show, and deselect the data you don't want to show.

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