XL: Trendlines Unavailable for Area Chart Type

ID: Q116057

The information in this article applies to:

SYMPTOMS

In Microsoft Excel, you may be unable to add a trendline to an area chart.

CAUSE

When you use the Area chart type, the Trendlines command may be unavailable because trendlines can only be added if the Area chart type is not stacked.

WORKAROUND

The default Area chart type is a stacked area, even if you are only charting one series. If you select this chart type, then the Trendlines command (on the Insert menu) will be unavailable (dimmed). To unstack an Area chart type, use the appropriate method for your version of Excel.

Excel 97

1. Select the area chart.

2. Click Chart Type on the Chart menu.

3. In the Chart Type dialog box, make sure Area is selected as the Chart 

   Type on the Standard Types tab.
4. On the Standard Types tab, under Chart Sub-type, click the first 
   (upper-left) sub-type, and then click OK.
The area chart becomes unstacked. To create trendlines, select the series and click Add Trendline on the Chart menu.

Excel 5.0 and 7.0

1. Select the area chart.

2. On the Format menu, click Chart Type. (Or, click Chart Type on the 

   Chart menu.)
3. In the Chart Type dialog box, make sure Area Group is selected. Then, 
   click Options.
4. In the Options dialog box, click the Subtype tab, click the first (far 
   left) subtype, and then click OK.
The area chart becomes unstacked. To create trendlines, select the series and click Trendlines on the Insert menu.

MORE INFORMATION

In Microsoft Excel, you can add trendlines to data series on a chart for the following chart types: unstacked 2-D area, bar, column, line, stock, xy (scatter), and bubble charts. You cannot add trendlines to data series in 3-D, stacked, radar, pie, or doughnut charts.

To create a trendline for a particular data series, follow these steps:

1. Select the series.

2. On the Insert menu, click Trendlines. (In Excel 97, click Add Trendline 

   on the Chart menu.)

REFERENCES

"User's Guide," version 5.0, pages 348-354

Additional query words: 5.00 7.00 97 XL97 XL7 XL5 greyed out grey grayed gray 

Keywords          : kbdta kbchart xlchart 
Version           : WINDOWS:5.0,5.0c,7.0,7.0a,97; MACINTOSH:5.0,5.0a
Platform          : MACINTOSH WINDOWS
Issue type        : kbprb

Last Reviewed: January 8, 1999