HOW TO: Add Text to the X-Axis or Y-Axis on a Chart in Excel 2000

This step-by-step article describes how to add text to a specific point on a chart in Microsoft Excel 2000.

Normally, when you try to add text to the x-axis or y-axis of a chart, you cannot manually edit the numbers on the axis to change them to text.

To enter text at a specific point on a chart axis, you must apply a custom number format to the axis.

Add Text to Chart

To add text at a specific point on a chart, following these steps.

NOTE: In this example, the word "min" appears for the lowest value of the chart and the word "max" appears for the highest value.

1. Start Microsoft Excel, and then create the following worksheet:
   A1: 200
   A2: 500
2. Select cells A1:A2, click Chart Wizard on the standard toolbar, and then click Finish.
3. Click Value Axis.
4. On the Format menu, click Selected Axis.
5. In the Format Axis dialog box, click the Number tab.
6. Under Category, click Custom.
7. Clear the contents of the Type box.
8. In the Type box, type the following text
   [=minvalue] "Min";[=maxvalue] "Max"
   where minvalue is the minimum data value, and maxvalue is the maximum data value.
   
   For example, if the minimum value is 200 and the maximum is 500, type:
   [=200] "Min";[=500] "Max"

NOTE: These steps may not work as expected for pie charts, doughnut charts, and some custom 3-D charts.

Add Labels, Titles, Legends, and Gridlines

After you create a chart, you can enhance it by adding data labels, chart and axis titles, a legend, and gridlines. To add these items to a chart, click Chart Options on the Chart menu, or click Chart Options on the chart shortcut menu (right-click anywhere inside the chart).

After an item is on a chart, you can double-click the item to display a formatting dialog box that contains various tabs. Each tab allows you to customize the chart item by adding such features as patterns and colors. You can also use the commands on the Format menu to format chart items.