At the get-go of 2021, I was tasked with an assignment: Create a pie chart showcasing which types of content performed best on the Marketing Blog in 2020.

The question was an undeniably important ane, as it would influence what types of content we wrote in 2021, along with identifying new opportunities for growth.

Just once I'd compiled all relevant data, I was stuck — How could I easily create a pie chart to showcase my results?

Fortunately, I've since figured it out. Hither, let's dive into how you can create your own excel pie nautical chart for impressive marketing reports and presentations. Plus, how to rotate a pie nautical chart in excel, explode a pie chart, and even how to create a 3-dimensional version.

Let'south dive in.

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How to Make a Pie Chart in Excel

i. Create your columns and/or rows of data. Feel costless to label each column of data — excel will apply those labels as titles for your pie chart. Then, highlight the information yous want to display in pie chart course.

Highlighted columns of data in excel to create a pie chart.

two. Now, click "Insert" so click on the "Pie" logo at the top of excel.

The pie chart tool in excel.

three. You'll see a few pie options here, including ii-dimensional and 3-dimensional. For our purposes, allow'southward click on the starting time paradigm of a ii-dimensional pie chart.

Various pie chart design options, including 2-D and 3-D pies, in excel.

4. And there yous take it! A pie chart volition appear with the data and labels y'all've highlighted.

A complete pie chart created in excel.

If you're non happy with the pie chart colors or blueprint, however, you lot also take plenty of editing options.

Allow's swoop into those, next.

How to Edit a Pie Nautical chart in Excel

Background Colour

1. Yous tin change the background color by clicking on the paint bucket icon under the "Format Chart Surface area" sidebar.

So, choose the fill type (whether you want a solid colour as your pie chart background, or whether y'all want the fill up to be gradient or patterned), and the background colour.

The background color tool for pie charts in excel.

Pie Chart Text

2. Next, click on the text within the pie chart itself if you want to rewrite anything, expand the text, or movement the text to a new area of your pie chart.

The text editor tool for pie charts in excel.

Pie Chart Border

iii. Within the Format Chart Area, you can edit the edge of your pie chart equally well — including the border transparency, width, and color.

The border tool for pie charts in excel in the Format Chart Area sidebar.

Pie Nautical chart Shadows

4. To change the pie nautical chart box itself (including the box'southward shadow, edges, and glow), click on the pentagon shape in the Format Chart Surface area sidebar.

Then, toggle the bar across "Transparency", "Size", "Blur", and "Angle" until you're happy with the shadow of your pie nautical chart box.

The shadow, glow, soft edges, or 3-d format options for pie charts in excel.

Pie Chart Colors

five. Click the colour paint palette, at the elevation left of excel, to change the colors of your pie chart.

Excel offers a range of complementary colors — including a few presets under "Colorful", and a few presets nether "Monochromatic". Y'all can click between the options until yous notice a color palette you're happy with.

(Alternatively, if you want to change the colors of your pie nautical chart pieces individually, simply double click on the pie chart slice, toggle onto the paint section of the Format Chart Area, and choose a new color.)

The color options for your pie chart in excel as pre-set by excel.

how to change the color of an individual pie chart piece in excel.

Chart Championship

half dozen. Change the chart championship by clicking on the three confined graph icon in the top left of excel, then toggling to "Chart Title > None", "Chart Title > To a higher place Chart", or "Nautical chart Title > Centered Overlay".

The chart title tool in excel to edit the placement of your title for your pie chart.

Change Location of Data Labels

7. On the same three bar graph icon, click "Data Labels" to modify where your labels announced on the pie chart. (For instance, exercise you want the pie chart pieces labelled in the eye of each pie chart portion, or on the outside?)

Switch Row/Cavalcade

8. If y'all'd adopt to switch which data appears in the pie nautical chart, click "Switch Row/Column" to run across alternate information aligned from your original information set.

The switch row/column button in excel.

How to Explode a Pie Nautical chart in Excel

1. To explode a piece of your pie chart (which tin can aid you emphasize or draw attending to a specific section of your pie nautical chart), simply double-click on the slice you want to pull away.

Then, drag your cursor until it's the altitude you want it, and you're all fix!

The tool to drag a piece of your pie chart away from the whole in excel.

How to Create a 3D Pie Chart in Excel

one. To create a iii-dimensional pie chart in excel, simply highlight your data and then click the "Pie" logo.

The pie chart button in excel

2. So, choose the "3-D Pie" option.

The 3-D option for pie charts in excel to create a 3-dimensional version.

iii. Finally, cull the design option you lot similar at the acme of your screen.

The design options for pie charts in excel.

How to Rotate a Pie Chart in Excel

Finally, to rotate your pie chart, double-click on the chart and then click on the iii-bar icon under "Format Data Betoken".

And so, toggle the "Bending of starting time slice" until y'all've rotated the pie chart to the degree you want.

How to rotate a pie chart in excel using format data point.

And there you take it! You're well on your mode to creating clean, impressive pie charts for your marketing materials to highlight important data and motion stakeholders to take action.

Ultimately, you'll want to experiment with all of excel's unique formatting features until y'all figure out the pie chart that works best for your needs. Good luck!

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Originally published Apr 23, 2021 7:00:00 AM, updated April 23 2021