How to Make a T Chart in Excel

A T-chart is one of the most effective ways to compare two sets of information side-by-side. Whether you're weighing the pros and cons of a major decision, comparing product features, or simply organizing your thoughts, a T-chart brings clarity to complexity. This tutorial will walk you through several easy methods to create a clean, functional T-chart directly in Excel, from a quick manual version to visually polished options perfect for presentations.

What is a T-Chart, Anyway?

A T-chart is a simple graphic organizer that separates information into two columns. Its name comes from its basic structure, which looks like a capital letter "T." The title of the topic is centered above the two columns, and the column headers specify the two perspectives being compared.

It's an incredibly versatile tool used for a wide range of comparisons, including:

Pros and Cons: The classic use case for evaluating the potential upsides and downsides of a choice.
Before and After: Tracking changes or results after implementing a new strategy.
Strengths and Weaknesses: A foundational part of a SWOT analysis.
Facts vs. Opinions: Separating objective information from subjective viewpoints.
Cause and Effect: Outlining the relationship between actions and their outcomes.

Method 1: The Simple Border Technique

This is the fastest and most common way to create a T-chart in Excel. It doesn’t require any special tools - just a few clicks to add cell borders. It’s perfect for personal note-taking, quick analyses, or internal team documents where function is more important than form.

Step 1: Set Up Your Columns and Header

First, open a blank Excel worksheet. It’s good practice to leave the very top row empty for a main title later on.

In the second row, type your two category headers into adjacent cells. For instance, if you're deciding on new software, you might type "Pros" in cell A2 and "Cons" in cell B2.

Step 2: Enter Your Data

Begin listing your points in the columns below their respective headers. Each point should get its own cell. As you type, don't worry about formatting or borders yet, just get all your ideas down.

For example:

Under "Pros" (Column A): Better user interface, Automates manual tasks, Good reporting features.
Under "Cons" (Column B): Higher monthly cost, Requires team training, Lengthy data migration process.

Feel free to adjust the column widths by clicking and dragging the boundary between the column letters (e.g., between A and B) so all your text is visible.

Step 3: Apply Borders to Create the "T" Shape

Now, let’s turn that simple list into a T-chart.

Create the horizontal line: Select the two header cells (in our example, A2 and B2). Navigate to the Home tab on the ribbon. In the Font group, click the dropdown arrow next to the Borders icon and select Bottom Border. You'll see a line appear under your headers.
Create the vertical line: Select all the cells containing your "Pros" (from the header down to your last point, e.g., A2:A5). Go back to the Borders menu and select Right Border.

And that's it! You now have a functional T-chart.

Step 4: Add a Title and Final Touches

To make your chart clearer, add a main title. Type your title into cell A1. To center it across your chart, select the cells above your T-chart (e.g., A1 and B1), go to the Home tab, and click Merge & Center in the Alignment group. Make the title and column headers bold to help them stand out.

Method 2: Using SmartArt for a Polished Design

If your T-chart is destined for a presentation or a formal report, you might want something more visually appealing than simple cell borders. Excel's SmartArt feature is perfect for this. It gives you professional-looking diagrams with just a few clicks.

Step 1: Insert a SmartArt Graphic

Navigate to the Insert tab on the Excel ribbon. In the Illustrations group, click on SmartArt. This will open a gallery of diagram types.

Step 2: Choose a Suitable Layout

While there isn't a pre-built "T-Chart" SmartArt, several options work perfectly. In the left-hand navigation pane, click on List. The Vertical Box List is an excellent choice. It gives you cleanly separated columns perfect for a comparison. Click it and then click OK.

Step 3: Add Your Text

Once you insert the SmartArt, a Text Pane will appear to the left of it (if it doesn’t, click the small arrow on the left edge of the SmartArt graphic). This is the easiest way to add your content.

The top-level bullet points in the Text Pane correspond to the headers of each column. Type your first header (e.g., "Pros").
Press Enter, then Tab to create a sub-point. This is where you'll list the items under that header.
Type your list of pros, pressing Enter after each one.
To create the second column, press Shift + Tab to return to a top-level bullet point and type your second header ("Cons"). Then repeat the process of adding sub-points.

Step 4: Customize Your SmartArt

The best part of SmartArt is how easy it is to customize. When your SmartArt is selected, two new tabs will appear on the ribbon: SmartArt Design and Format.

On the SmartArt Design tab, you can use Change Colors to apply a pre-set color palette. The SmartArt Styles section lets you add effects like shadows or 3D angles to make your diagram pop.
On the Format tab, you have granular control over individual shapes and text within your diagram.

Method 3: Building a T-Chart from Scratch with Shapes

For ultimate creative control, you can build a T-chart from the ground up using Excel’s shape tools. This method is great when you need a custom design or want to create a graphic that you can easily copy and paste into PowerPoint or Word as a single image.

Step 1: Draw the Lines

Go to the Insert tab, click Shape, and select the Line tool.

To draw the horizontal line, click and drag your mouse across the worksheet. Pro Tip: Hold down the Shift key while you drag to create a perfectly straight line.
Next, select the Line tool again and draw your vertical line down from the center of the horizontal one.

Step 2: Add Your Content with Text Boxes

Standard cells don't work well with shapes, so you’ll use text boxes instead.

Go to Insert > Text Box. Click and drag in your worksheet to create boxes for your main title, column headers, and each list of points on either side of the vertical line.

Step 3: Align and Group Your Shapes

With all the individual pieces on your sheet, the final step is to bring them together into a single, cohesive object.

Align: Haphazardly placed text boxes can look messy. To align them, select multiple objects by holding the Ctrl key while you click on them. Then, go to the Shape Format tab, click Align, and choose an option like Align Left or Distribute Vertically to get everything lined up perfectly.
Group: Once everything is positioned where you want it, you should group all the components (lines and text boxes) together. Select all the objects, right-click on one of them, and choose Group > Group. Now, your T-chart will behave as a single image, making it easy to move, resize, or copy.

Special Use Case: The Accounting T-Account in Excel

In bookkeeping and accounting, the T-chart takes on a very specific and vital role known as a "T-Account." It's a visual way to see the debits and credits affecting a single account over a period of time. Creating one uses the same simple Border Method we first discussed.

Setting Up a T-Account

In the top row, merge two cells (e.g., A1 and B1) and enter the name of the ledger account, such as "Cash."
Beneath that, in cell A2 write “Debits” and in cell B2 write “Credits.”
Use the border method to create the "T" shape: Apply a Bottom Border to A2:B2 and a Right Border to the debit column (column A, starting from A2 down).

Recording Transactions and Calculating Balance

You can now list all the debits (increases to an asset account like Cash) on the left side and all the credits (decreases) on the right. To find the account's final balance, you can use the SUM function.

At the bottom of the "Debits" column, use the formula:

=SUM(A3:A10)

Do the same for the "Credits" column:

=SUM(B3:B10)

The ending balance of your cash account would be the total debits minus the total credits, which you can calculate in a separate cell.

Final Thoughts

Creating a T-chart in Excel is straightforward, whether you prefer the quick border method for fast analysis, the polished look of SmartArt for presentations, or the total control of shapes. It’s a powerful but brilliantly simple tool for organizing thoughts, making clear comparisons, and driving better decisions.

When your comparisons depend on live data - like weighing the performance of two different ad campaigns or comparing sales metrics week-over-week across different platforms - manually updating T-charts can be a chore. Instead of exporting CSVs and building reports by hand, we designed Graphed to streamline that process. You can just ask a question like, "Compare revenue from Google Ads vs. Facebook Ads for the last 30 days," and instantly get an updating chart, all without touching a spreadsheet.