Illustrator charts - align column totals

[edwink80424516]

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.

[Monika Gause]

Design it the way it shoul look.

And then rotate it upright.

[edwink80424516 · Accepted solution]

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'

[Monika Gause]

Interesting, thanks for the feedback.

[Timberrr]

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.)

[edwink80424516]

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'

[Timberrr]

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

[Monika Gause]

Create an invisible rectangle at the bottom of the stacking order that doesn't enclose the number.

[Timberrr]

Thanks Monika,
In a new .ai file I tried JUST an invisible rectangle as the "design" (so all I want to see are the data labels 5.3 and 20.5 at the appropriate height). It has a smaller rectangle with the text above it, and a bigger rectangle enclosing the text, but either way the smaller number is squashed when applied to the graph.
Is there something else I can try?

(Tried to upload the .ai file but it says: "The attachment's datalabels.ai content type (application/postscript) does not match its file extension and has been removed.")  version 25.4.1 on Windows

[Monika Gause]

Please upload it to Dropbox or the like and post a link.

[Timberrr]

Thanks. Here's the link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/f2r54dy4763uq0u/DataLabels.ai?dl=0

[Monika Gause]

You also need the guide. Sorry, didn't mention that explicitely, because I thought you knew it.

[edwink80424516]

Hey, now i'm confused as well 😉

Big difference with my charts was that my datalabels were ín the bars itself. But then again, in Monika's example they weren't.

@Monika GauseHow to use those guides?

Cheers, Ed'

[Monika Gause]

You draw a line at a position where the car should be extended. Then convert it to a guide. Make sure guides are unlocked. Then select the guide with all the other elements and make the graph design.

More details in the documentation.

[edwink80424516]

Okay,

gave it a go, but it seems the datalabel is taken into account of the bar-height, instead of being placed above it.

See my screenshot. Eventhough the guides are on the same height, the numbers are taken into account of the barheight - whereas it shouldn't be imo.

But i won't hijack Timber's thread (eventhough i started this 😉 and just keep an eye on this thread.

[Monika Gause]

There needs to be an invisible rectangle with the same size as the green rectangle that sits below everything else.

[Timberrr]

Great! That solves it for me thanks.
In my various attempts I had tried each in various combinations but not those three things together:

• the label above the back-most rectangle
• the back-most rectangle must be invisible (even if it's the same size as a visible rectangle) 
• and a guide so that "sliding" can be specified

Thanks again. And thanks Ed' for your original question and interest.

[edwink80424516]

Nice to read things are sorted out, good luck with those charts.

And I think i'll come back to this thread once i have to make some charts again.

Thanks all, cheers!