Shantanu's Blog

1) Select the data in B2:F3 and make a column chart. The chart will be blank!
2) Select B6:F22 and click the Copy tool. Select the chart and click the Paste tool.
3) Right click the North data series in the chart, open the Format Data Series dialog. On the Axis tab click on the Secondary Axis box to put a check mark in it.
4) Right click within the Chart Area and open the Chart Option dialog. In the Secondary Axis area, put a check mark in the Category (X) Axis box and remove the check mark from the Value (Y) Axis box.
5) In turn, format the other three data series to use the secondary axis. After this, when you click on a data series in the chart, the coloured range finder lines will enclose the data in B6:B22 and the y-values.
6) Right click any data series in the chart, open the Chart Type dialog and set the chart to stacked columns. If you do this without selecting a data series the x-axis labels will be totally unacceptable.
7) Right click on any data series in the chart, open the Format Data Series dialog, and on the Options tab set the Gap width to 0.
8) We need to hide the secondary x-axis. Do not merely clear or delete it. Right click on the secondary x-axis (top one) and open the Format Axis dialog. Set the Major and Minor tick marks to none. Set the Tick marks labels to none.
9) Click on the legend box and then click to select the Series 1 text. Press the Delete key.
10) Note, you may change the order in which the data is displayed. Open any Format Data Series dialog, open the Series Order tab and use the Move buttons to reorder the series to your requirements.
11) Remember there is a hidden secondary x-axis. This may interfere with the chart title if the two overlap. You may wish to use the secondary x-axis title as the chart title to avoid this problem.