Column Plot Starting from Non-zero Value

By default, when you plot a column graph, the column bar will start from Y=0. This is controlled by Y=0 checkbox on Grids tab of Axis dialog when Vertical is selected on left panel. If Y=0 isn’t checked, Column will always start from bottom axis position.

Sometimes user wants the column/bar plot to start from a non-zero baseline which is not the bottom of the axis, we can implement this by moving the bottom axis position, If user still wants tick labels at the bottom of the graph, then user can turn top axis on and put it at the bottom of graph.

E.g. the following example will show you how to plot a column plot starting from Y=0.5 position.

Download this OPJ file (Column_Plot_with_Baseline_Y0.5, 4KB) to learn how to make this graph

In the attached OPJ file, there is one worksheet with 4 columns, the first two columns, (col(A), col(B)) are data for tick label tables,  and the last two columns are source Y datasets.

Plot a column plot starts from Y=0.5 without tick label tables

In the following steps,  we are going to turn on two horizontal axes: the Top X axis and the Bottom X axis. Then move the bottom axis to Y=0.5 as baseline of the columns, and move the top axis to the bottom.

1. With the workbook Book1 active, highlight col(C) and col(D) to select Plot: Column/Bar/Pie: Column to plot a column graph.
2. Double click Y axis line to open the Axis dialog. On Scale tab and Set From to 0.3.
   
3. Go to Grids tab. Select Vertical icon on the left panel. Clear Y=0 checkbox.
   
4. Go to the Line and Ticks tab, with the Bottom icon selected, set Axis Position as At Position=  and enter 0.5 in the Percent/Value text box. Set the Style of Major Ticks 、 Minor Ticks as None.
   
5. Go to Tick Labels 、 Title tabs, with Bottom icon selected, uncheck the Show check box. Click Apply button. Now we have the bottom axis start from Y=0.5 in the Graph.
   
6. In the following steps, we are going to move the top axis to the bottom of graph. Select Top icon in the left panel, choose the Show check box. Then choose the Format tab, enter -200 in the Vertical text box under the Offset in %Point Size branch.
   
7. Choose the Line and Ticks tab, with the Top icon selected, select Show Line and Ticks check box.  set Axis Position as At Position=  and enter 0.3 in the Percent/Value text box. You can also set the Axis Position to be % From Top, and enter Percent/Value as -100 to achieve the same thing.
   
8. Then you will get the below graph.
   

Plot a column plot starts from Y=0.5 with tick label tables

If you want to show 2 row tick label table at the bottom X axis, you can follow below steps:

1. Double click the tick labels at the bottom of the graph to open the Axis dialog.
2. Remember the axis at that the bottom of the graph is actually Top axis. So make sure Top icon is selected on the left panel.
3. Go to Tick Labels tab. Select 2nd level Table tab. Check Enable checkbox. And set Number of Rows to be 2. Top 1 、 Top 2 icons will show on left panel.
   
4. Select Top 2 icon on the left panel. On Display tab, set the Dataset Name to be [Book1]Sheet1!B
   
   
5. Click the OK button. Tick label table will show at the bottom of the graph. It starts upwards from bottom axis line. Click on any grids in the table to select the table and drag it down so that the top of the table meets Y=0.3 line.You will get the graph below.