Naming Basics Best practice recommendations are to create a chart placing independent variables on the horizontal, x-axis and dependent variables on the vertical, y-axis.

Excel automatically distributes these points along a uniform X axis. To add more data to the Y axis in a line chart, add additional numbers in cells below your existing data.

If you need to create a Line Chart and Scatter Plot in Excel, read through this article. We have also explained which one is right for you.

If you have uneven distribution of data in your Excel chart, here is a better way to change the automatic axis settings.

We discuss a comment on a previous post stating that the text of labels on the vertical axis of graphs must be horizontal by discussing the pros and cons of four possible positions for these labels.