5.2 Sparklines and compact comparisons
You can show a trend per row without twenty separate charts.
Before:03. Excel — AnalysisUnlocks:13. Portfolio & Certification
Sparklines put a tiny chart inside a cell, one per row, so a table of numbers grows a trend column without twenty separate chart objects. This topic covers line, column and win-loss sparklines, in-cell bars built with REPT and conditional formatting, and the small-multiples idea of many consistent little charts instead of one crowded one. The trap, and the common confusion, is axis scaling: by default each sparkline scales to its own row, which makes rows look comparable when they are not, so setting a consistent axis across the group is the key habit.
Work through these
Line, column and win/loss sparklines
A tiny chart inside a single cell shows the shape of a row's history without taking any space. Three kinds cover trend, magnitude and win or loss.
Consistent axes across a group
Sparklines only support comparison if every one of them uses the same scale, and by default they do not. Setting a shared axis is what makes the column comparable.
In-cell bars with REPT and conditional formatting
A repeated character and conditional formatting produce a bar inside a cell with no chart object at all. It is a lightweight technique that survives being copied anywhere.
When small multiples beat one crowded chart
Many small charts sharing one scale are frequently clearer than one chart with many series on it. Recognising when a chart has become crowded is the judgement being taught.
Practice file
- xl-07-dashboard-starter.xlsx
Clean data plus an empty dashboard sheet with the five questions written on it.
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