How do I partially fill a plot area with color?

[psychobug]

I have charted two learning curves... the curves are basically parallel with
one another... one is just slightly higher than/above the other. I want to
fill the area below the lower of the two curve with one color; the area above
the higher of the two curves with a second color; and leave the area between
the two curves without any color. How?

The color fill button on my toolbar fills the entire plot area with one color.

Thanks in advance, Elaine

 

[Luke M]

You might check out this:

http://peltiertech.com/Excel/Charts/format.html#XYArea

Several ways of adding background fills.

 

[Thad Ayres]

I'm posting this for others who may search for this in the future as I have.

Most every discussion group ended up pointing to the same page. http://peltiertech.com/Excel/Charts/BackgroundFill.html It has very good info but I was looking for something quicker. I came up with the following low-tech method to create color bands behind the plot area.

Create your plot as usual. Make sure your page zoom is at 100%. Press ALT+PrintScreen to copy Excel window to clipboard (Excel must be active window). Open Microsoft Paint. Press CTRL+V to paste screenshot. Move/clip image so you only have the plot area remaining.

By agthad at 2010-12-13

 

[Thad Ayres]

I'm posting this for others who may search for this in the future as I have.

Most every discussion group ended up pointing to the same page. http://peltiertech.com/Excel/Charts/BackgroundFill.html It has very good info but I was looking for something quicker. I came up with the following low-tech method to create color bands behind the plot area.

Create your plot as usual. Make sure your page zoom is at 100%. Press ALT+PrintScreen to copy Excel window to clipboard (Excel must be active window). Open Microsoft Paint. Press CTRL+V to paste screenshot. Move/clip image so you only have the plot area remaining.

By agthad at 2010-12-13

I have charted two learning curves... the curves are basically parallel with
one another... one is just slightly higher than/above the other. I want to
fill the area below the lower of the two curve with one color; the area above
the higher of the two curves with a second color; and leave the area between
the two curves without any color. How?

The color fill button on my toolbar fills the entire plot area with one color.

Thanks in advance, Elaine

http://peltiertech.com/Excel/Charts/format.html#XYArea

Several ways of adding background fills.

On Monday, December 13, 2010 5:09 PM Thad Ayres wrote:
I'm posting this for others who may search for this in the future as I have.



Most every discussion group ended up pointing to the same page. http://peltiertech.com/Excel/Charts/BackgroundFill.html It has very good info but I was looking for something quicker. I came up with the following low-tech method to create color bands behind the plot area.



Create your plot as usual. Make sure your page zoom is at 100%. Press ALT+PrintScreen to copy Excel window to clipboard (Excel must be active window). Open Microsoft Paint. Press CTRL+V to paste screenshot. Move/clip image so you only have the plot area remaining.

By agthad at 2010-12-13

 

[Thad Ayres]

I'm posting this for others who may search for this in the future as I have.

Most every discussion group ended up pointing to the same page. http://peltiertech.com/Excel/Charts/BackgroundFill.html It has very good info but I was looking for something quicker. I came up with the following low-tech method to create color bands behind the plot area.

Create your plot as usual. Make sure your page zoom is at 100%. Press ALT+PrintScreen to copy Excel window to clipboard (Excel must be active window). Open Microsoft Paint. Press CTRL+V to paste screenshot.

http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/3576/excelbandrxpowertransfe.gif

Move/clip image so you only have the plot area remaining.

http://img697.imageshack.us/img697/3576/excelbandrxpowertransfe.gif

Use Paint tools to create your color bands. I found it easiest to delete the grid and then draw a filled box. It doesn't even have to be the whole size of the plot area, just the correct width. Save the new image. (GIF is nice and small)

http://img830.imageshack.us/img830/3576/excelbandrxpowertransfe.gif

Go back to Excel. Right click on the plot area and select Format Plot Area. Select Fill Effects and Select Picture.

http://img510.imageshack.us/img510/3576/excelbandrxpowertransfe.gif

Edit your image in Paint if you need to move areas around, change colors, etc.

I have charted two learning curves... the curves are basically parallel with
one another... one is just slightly higher than/above the other. I want to
fill the area below the lower of the two curve with one color; the area above
the higher of the two curves with a second color; and leave the area between
the two curves without any color. How?

The color fill button on my toolbar fills the entire plot area with one color.

Thanks in advance, Elaine

http://peltiertech.com/Excel/Charts/format.html#XYArea

Several ways of adding background fills.

On Monday, December 13, 2010 5:09 PM Thad Ayres wrote:
I'm posting this for others who may search for this in the future as I have.



Most every discussion group ended up pointing to the same page. http://peltiertech.com/Excel/Charts/BackgroundFill.html It has very good info but I was looking for something quicker. I came up with the following low-tech method to create color bands behind the plot area.



Create your plot as usual. Make sure your page zoom is at 100%. Press ALT+PrintScreen to copy Excel window to clipboard (Excel must be active window). Open Microsoft Paint. Press CTRL+V to paste screenshot. Move/clip image so you only have the plot area remaining.

By agthad at 2010-12-13

On Monday, December 13, 2010 5:10 PM Thad Ayres wrote:
I'm posting this for others who may search for this in the future as I have.



Most every discussion group ended up pointing to the same page. http://peltiertech.com/Excel/Charts/BackgroundFill.html It has very good info but I was looking for something quicker. I came up with the following low-tech method to create color bands behind the plot area.



Create your plot as usual. Make sure your page zoom is at 100%. Press ALT+PrintScreen to copy Excel window to clipboard (Excel must be active window). Open Microsoft Paint. Press CTRL+V to paste screenshot. Move/clip image so you only have the plot area remaining.

By agthad at 2010-12-13