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edwink80424516
Inspiring
August 18, 2021
Answered

Illustrator charts - align column totals

  • August 18, 2021
  • 1 reply
  • 3099 views

Hi there,

 

While working on some charts in illustrator (O_o), i'm trying to add some column totals. But i can't get them positioned good.

My steps:

  1. created the stacked bar graph
  2. add a square with a text field in front, with '%20' in it (to specify numbers and no decimals) and group it
  3. save as object > graphs > design
  4. group select the columns and apply the just created design. I just can't get the totals to be upright

 

Is this something that just doesn't work on a stacked bar graph? I've tried to prerotate the totals and save these as element, and ticked and unticked the 'rotate design' box to test.

 

see the attached image: To the left are my 4 graph-designs i tried. Currently the graph is using the 1st/top one - where the number is upright already.

 

We have a lot of graphs to do, so i want to preset as much as possible. But can this be done in advance?

 

Regards, Edwin.

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer edwink80424516

Thanks for the reply,

 

I thought i did just that, but it seems i needed to stretch the column more so that AI gets it. Thanks for letting me having another go at it!

 

see the attached image of what didn't work and does work - from the column-designs to the left the square background doesn't work, rectangle background does..

 

Cheers, Ed'

1 reply

Monika Gause
Community Expert
Monika GauseCommunity Expert
Community Expert
August 18, 2021

Design it the way it shoul look.

And then rotate it upright.

 

    T
    Timberrr
    Participating Frequently
    December 5, 2021

    Can you help me to stop the numbers from scaling with the column? 
    My problem is the number is being included in the length of the column and the numbers themselves are being scaled. In this picture, the red numbers (placed manually) are what I'm after and the black numbers are what I'm getting from the graph design. (The graph design is just a rectangle with the %21 text placed above then those two elements grouped and saved as a new design, then applied to the columns.)

     

    T
    Timberrr
    Participating Frequently
    December 7, 2021

    Hello Timber,

     

    Your whole 'column type element' is squashed for eacht column, so i'd say you have to choose a different setting on your 'column type element'. (options are: vertically scaled, uniformly scale, repeating or sliding).

    'Sliding' should work if i recall correctly.

     

    see info @ https://helpx.adobe.com/gr_en/illustrator/using/graphs.html (attached a relevant image from there to this reply).

     

    Does that work better? Cheers, Ed'


    Thanks Ed',
    The problem is still there after trying the various column types.

    The sliding option came closest but it 'freezes' the lower part of the column not the top part where the numbers are, so it still squashed the numbers. If there was an option to freeze the top part of the column design that would work.

     

    In Monika's graph the purple bar is correctly of length 4, so the number does not form part of the length and does not seem to be squashed (though it may be hard to tell at that scale).

    Other options for the column design (wider numbers, grouped and ungrouped, backing rectangle as well as the actual rectangle) all failed also.

    I'm curious how this should be done because adding data labels to a column graph is pretty basic so I feel I'm missing something.

    Cheers, Timberrr

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