How to Create a 2D Area Chart in Excel

Creating a 2D area chart in Excel is an excellent way to show how different values change over time - think of it as a line chart with the space underneath it filled in to emphasize volume. This quick guide will walk you through exactly how to set up your data and build a polished area chart, transforming your spreadsheet numbers into a compelling visual story.

What Exactly is a 2D Area Chart?

An area chart visualizes data by plotting points and connecting them with a line, then filling the area below that line. The primary purpose is to display a trend over time or categories. While a simple line chart is great for tracking changes in a single data set, an area chart excels at illustrating the magnitude of that change. When you stack multiple data series on top of each other, an area chart becomes incredibly effective at showing the relationship of individual parts to the whole over a continuous period.

For example, you could use a 2D area chart to:

• Track your website's total traffic volume each month, broken down by source (e.g., Organic, Social, Direct).

• Visualize total sales revenue per quarter, with each product category's contribution stacked on top of one another.

• Show changes in a project's budget allocation to different departments throughout the fiscal year.

Its strength lies in clearly representing cumulative totals and trending contributions over time in a single, easy-to-read graphic.

When to Use an Area Chart (and When to Pass)

Like any chart type, area charts are perfect for certain scenarios but less effective for others. Knowing when to use one is key to clear data communication.

Use a 2D Area Chart When:

• You want to show a trend over time. This is their primary function. Area charts are ideal for displaying data connected by a continuous variable like dates, months, or years.

• You need to emphasize volume. The colored area beneath the line makes the magnitude of the values immediately obvious, which is something a simple line chart doesn't do as effectively.

• You're showing a part-to-whole relationship changing over time. A stacked area chart is perfect for this. It visualizes not only the trend of the total but also the changing contribution of each component that makes up that total.

Consider a Different Chart When:

• You have too many data series. With more than four or five categories, a standard area chart becomes a cluttered mess. The different colored areas overlap and hide each other, making it impossible to read. This is often called "occlusion."

• Exact values need to be compared precisely. Because the data series are stacked on top of each other, it can be hard to accurately estimate the value of the series in the middle. If precise comparison between individual series at each point in time is your goal, a clustered column chart or multiple line charts might work better.

• Your data doesn't represent a continuous relationship. Area charts imply a connection and flow between data points. If you are comparing distinct, unrelated categories (e.g., sales by sales representative), a bar chart is a much better choice.

Step 1: Get Your Data Ready for an Excel Area Chart

Before you even click Insert, the most important step is organizing your data properly. Excel builds charts based on how your data is structured, so a clean layout is essential. For an area chart, you need your data organized in a simple grid with your time-based categories in the first column and your numerical data in the adjacent columns.

For example, let's say we want to visualize monthly sales figures for three different product lines: "Widgets," "Gadgets," and "Doodads." Your data should look like this:

Example Data Structure:

This structure is perfect. Your time series ("Month") is in the leftmost column, and each "series" you want to plot (Widget Sales, Gadget Sales) has its own column of values. This clear, tabular format makes the next step incredibly easy.

Step 2: Create a 2D Area Chart in Less Than a Minute

With your data properly organized, creating the chart itself is quick and easy. Just follow these steps.

1. Select Your Data

Click and drag your cursor to highlight the entire range of data you want to include in the chart. In our example, you'd select from "Month" all the way down to the last sales figure for "Doodads." Make sure you include the headers - Excel will use them automatically for the chart legend.

2. Navigate to the Insert Tab

At the top of the Excel window, click on the Insert tab in the ribbon. This is where all of Excel's charting tools are located.

3. Choose the Area Chart Option

In the "Charts" section of the Insert tab, look for the icon that looks like a small line chart with the area underneath filled in. Its tooltip will read "Insert Line or Area Chart." Click on this icon.

A dropdown menu will appear showing several chart options. You’re interested in the ones under the "2D Area" heading.

4. Choose the Right Type of 2D Area Chart

Excel gives you three main choices for a 2D Area chart. Each one tells a slightly different story:

• Area: This is the standard area chart. The data series are layered on top of each other. This is great for showing the magnitude of each series' trend, but be aware that smaller series can be hidden behind larger ones.

• Stacked Area: This chart type is generally the most useful for multiple series. It stacks each category on top of the previous one, showing you both the series' individual trend but more importantly the total sum of all categories at each point. This is perfect for illustrating the part-to-whole relationship we mentioned earlier. It also solves the problem of series hiding one another.

• 100% Stacked Area: This variation is similar to the stacked area chart, but it displays the values as percentages of the total at each point. The vertical axis will always go from 0% to 100%. This is extremely useful if you want to visually analyze how the proportion of each category changes over time, rather than the absolute value.

For our sales example, a Stacked Area chart is likely the best choice to show both individual product growth and overall company sales growth. Simply click on that option, and Excel will instantly generate the chart and place it on your worksheet.

Step 3: Customize and Polish Your Area Chart

Excel's default chart is a great starting point, but a few simple customizations can make it significantly more readable and professional.

Giving Your Chart a Meaningful Title

The default title will likely be something generic like "Chart Title." Click on it directly and type in something more descriptive, like "Monthly Product Sales Per Line - First Half". A clear title tells your audience exactly what they are looking at.

Adjusting the Colors and Style

Don't like the default blue and orange? No problem. When your chart is selected, two new tabs will appear on the ribbon: Chart Design and Format.

• Use the Chart Design > Change Colors dropdown to quickly apply a different pre-set color palette.

• To change the color of a specific area, simply right-click on that colored area in the chart, select Format Data Series..., click the paint bucket icon (Fill & Line), and choose a new color from the "Fill" options.

Making It Clearer with Data Labels

Sometimes, it's helpful to see the exact value on the chart itself. Click on your chart to select it, then click the green plus icon ("Chart Elements") that appears to the right. Check the box next to Data Labels. You can click the small arrow next to it for more placement options, like "Center" or "Above." Use this feature sparingly to avoid clutter, especially with many data points.

Editing the Axes

To format an axis, right-click on it and choose Format Axis... A new pane will open with a host of options. Here you can change things like:

• The number format (e.g., add a currency symbol).

• The scale (minimum and maximum bounds of the axis).

• The text display options for your labels.

Expert Tips for Building Better Area Charts

Ready to level up your chart-making skills? Here are a few pro tips to make your area charts even more effective.

• Keep Your Categories Limited: As we mentioned, area charts get messy fast. Stick to 3-5 categories at most. If you have more, consider grouping smaller categories into an "Other" category or choosing a different chart type.

• Organize Data Methodically for Stacked Charts: When creating a stacked area chart, the order of your data series matters. A good practice is to place the most stable or largest category at the bottom and the most variable series at the top. This creates a smoother baseline and makes the up-and-down changes clearer.

• Use Transparency on a Standard Area Chart: If you must use a standard (non-stacked) area chart with overlapping series, you can combat the occlusion problem by adding transparency. Right-click a data series, go to Format Data Series... > Fill & Line, and under the "Fill" section, drag the Transparency slider to around 30-50%. This allows you to see the shapes of the series behind it.

Final Thoughts

Making a 2D area chart in Excel is a straightforward process that transforms your raw data into a powerful narrative about trends and volume. Once you’ve structured your data correctly, it only takes a few clicks to insert a chart, and from there you can customize it to perfectly suit your reporting needs.

Once you’ve mastered charts in Excel, you may realize that manually updating spreadsheets and rebuilding reports week after week takes a ton of time. At Graphed , we help automate that entire cycle. Instead of downloading CSVs and building pivot tables, we simply connect directly to your data sources - like Google Analytics, Shopify, or Salesforce - and let you build real-time, interactive dashboards just by asking questions in plain English. This frees you from the manual work so you can spend less time updating charts and more time acting on the insights they provide.