======= Date Modified 21 43 2009 10:43:46 =======
Hi all!

I'm on the verge of throwing my computer out the window here, I'm trying to do a very simple thing in excel and i just cannot figure out how to do it in new 2007 version. I have a bar chart, with several data points or bars for each variable, and i want to just do it the old fashioned way and give each bar a different pattern instead of colour for each type of data. In 2007 excel i can olny change the colours or textures which is no good if il be printing in black and white, how do i get the old fashioned stripes, spots etc again?!

Hello,

When i typed bar chart patterns into the Help box in Excel, it sent me to this link:

http://www.andypope.info/charts/patternfills.htm

Not sure if that's any use?

yea, ive been able to download the add on but i cant actually install it on my excel...i cant believe they've removed it and made possible to add it back in but made it this complicated! nonsense!

thanks for the help btw! :)

Have you used Graphpad Prism? Having only recently discovered it after one of the post docs in my lab showed me, it's so much better than excel. I've been using excel for as long as I can remember, but Graphpad prism is so much easier to use.

I have only recently heard about prisim and I'm definately going to get my hands on it asap! I decided to just do this one wee graph on excel thinking it would be easier and quicker than trying to get the hang of a new programme first..how wrong i was! I'm just very bad with computers i think!

Btw, if anyone needs it, to do patterns and not colours for your chartsin excel, you have to download and install the patterns add on for excel 2007 as they removed it in favour of the (to tally useless) textures and fills option.

Definately do so, it's amaxing! And if you're doing stats etc you can do it all on there too using graphpad Stat (or something with a similar name!) It's way more simpler than using SPSS! Plus the graphs look far better on GraphPad Prism, particularly when you're exporting them into word documents and so on. It's marvellous!!!