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November 2005 Tip of the Month

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Adding Recession Shading to an Excel Chart

PDF version of this Tip of the Month

1. Set up your data in an Excel spreadsheet, similar to the example below, including a variable marking recessions. In this example, recessions = 1 and expansions = -1.

2. Insert an Excel chart into your spreadsheet.

3. Select the "Recession" series on the chart and then select Format - Selected Data Series from the menu bar.

4. Select the "Axis" tab. Mark "Secondary axis". Click OK.

5. With the "Recession" series still selected, select Chart-Chart type from the menu bar.

6. Select "Column" from the Chart type list and click OK.

7. Select the right-hand axis and select Format - Selected Axis from the menu bar.

8. Set the following options and then click OK.

a. On the "Patterns" tab -

b. On the "Scale" tab -

9. Select the "Recession" series and then select Format - Selected Data Series from the menu bar.

10. Set the following options and click OK.

a. On the "Patterns" tab -

b. On the "Options" tab -

Final Results: