Description

A column chart is a chart that each category is represented by a vertical rectangle, with the height of the rectangle being proportional to the values being plotted. It’s also sometime called a vertical bar chart.

When to Use

The column chart is widely used to show comparison among categories and sometimes to visualize time-based data. It’s effective for showing the difference between values.

Dos

• Always start at zero baseline
• Use horizontal labels to improve readability
• Use consistent colors throughout the chart, accent colors can be used to highlight meaningful data points
• Space between bars should be roughly 50% of the bar width

Don'ts

• Don’t use shadow effects
• Don’t use 3D effects

Tools available

Other chart types of comparison