Just as creating a chart begins with selecting data, applying advanced formatting begins with selecting a chart element—the title, series, area, legend, or whatever you want to format.

When you rest your pointer on a chart element, a ScreenTip appears telling you which item you’re about to select. After you select an element, handles appear to confirm the selection—although in some cases these handles might be difficult to see. If you’re not sure what you selected, or if you just want to see what elements are available for formatting, you can open the Chart Objects list. This drop-down list enumerates most of the elements of the current chart that you can format. You can select a chart element directly from the list or simply use the list as a guide. Figure 21-1 shows the Chart Objects list for a three-dimensional column chart.

To open the Chart Objects list, first select any part of a chart. Then click either the Chart Tools Layout tab or the Chart Tools Format tab on the ribbon. The Chart Objects list now appears under the File tab in the upper-left corner of the Excel window. Initially you see the name of the object you selected—Chart Area or Plot Area, for example. To see the entire list of available objects, click the drop-down arrow. As Figure 21-1 shows, the list is tailored to the current chart. Data series within the chart are identified by name.

Figure 21-1. The Chart Objects list enumerates the elements of the current chart that you can format.