How to add a title and legend to a chart

In this lesson we'll look at how to add a title and a legend to a chart.

Let's take a look.

To add a title to a chart, first, select the chart. Then go to the Layout tab under Chart Tools on the ribbon.

Controls for the chart title, and other "label-type" elements are in the Label group. Click Chart Title to see the two primary options. "Centered Overlay Title" places a title on the chart in the plot area. The "Above Chart" option places the title at the top of the chart and reduces the height of the plot area a bit to provide enough space.

Once you have the title on the chart, select the title text, and type an appropriate title. You can also adjust the location if you like. Just select the title, and hover your mouse over the edge of the text box until you see a 4-headed arrow. Then, just click and drag.

You can also adjust the formatting of the chart title using standard tools. For example, you can easily change the font, size, and color.

The process for adding a legend to a chart is similar to adding a title. First, select the chart; then go to Layout, under Chart Tools. Legend options are in the Legend menu. There are many positioning options for legends, but Show Legend at Right, and Show Legend at Bottom will probably work best in most cases.

When you select Show Legend at Right, Excel reduces the width of the plot area and adds the legend. When you select Show Legend at Bottom, Excel reduces the height of the plot area to make room for the legend at the bottom.

Like the title, you can easily move a legend to a new location. Just select the legend and hover your mouse until you see the 4-headed arrow. Then drag to a new location.  You can hold down the Shift key while you drag to restrict the movement to horizontal or vertical only.

You are also free to move the legend to another location altogether. You can remove the title and the legend at any time, either by selecting None from the appropriate menu, or by simply selecting and deleting.

Note that if you do add these elements again, your previous changes will be lost.