How to Change Data Point Shape in Excel

Standard Excel charts can get the job done, but their default data points - those simple circles and squares - don't always make your information stand out. Customizing the shapes of your data points is a quick and effective way to highlight key metrics, differentiate between datasets, and make your reports much easier to understand. This guide will walk you through exactly how to change data point shapes for an entire series, a single point, and even how to use custom images for your markers.

Why Should You Change Data Point Shapes?

Changing the shape of a data marker might seem like a small detail, but it can have a big impact on how your audience interprets your data. It's a powerful tool for visual storytelling that helps you move beyond generic charts. Here are a few key reasons why you'd want to do this:

• To Emphasize Key Events: You can use a unique shape, like a star or diamond, to mark a significant event such as a major product launch, a record-breaking sales day, or the start of a new marketing campaign. This immediately draws the viewer's eye to what matters most.
• To Differentiate Data Series: When you have multiple lines on a single chart, relying only on color can be problematic. Different shapes make it much easier to distinguish between series, which is especially important for accessibility (for viewers with colorblindness) and for reports that will be printed in black and white.
• To Categorize Data Points: If certain data points belong to different categories, you can assign a unique shape to each category. For example, on a project timeline, you might use triangles to represent completed milestones and circles for upcoming ones.
• To Improve Visual Appeal: A little bit of customization goes a long way. Well-formatted charts look more professional and polished, showing you've put care into your presentation and making your report more engaging.

How to Change the Shape of an Entire Data Series

Let's start with the basics. If your goal is to change all the markers in a particular data series (for example, changing all the blue dots to blue squares), the process is straightforward. This is most common in scatter plots and line charts with markers enabled.

Follow these steps:

1. Select your chart type: This technique works best with chart types that use markers, such as a Scatter Plot or a Line with Markers chart.
2. Right-click the data series: Go to your chart and right-click on any of the data points within the series you want to change. A context menu will appear.
3. Open the Format Data Series pane: From the menu, select Format Data Series... This will open a detailed formatting pane on the right side of your Excel window.
4. Navigate to Marker Options: In the format pane, click on the Fill & Line icon, which looks like a paint bucket tipping over. Then, click on the word Marker to expand its settings.
5. Choose a new shape: Under Marker Options, select the Built-in radio button. You'll now see a Type dropdown menu. Click it to choose from a variety of built-in shapes like squares, triangles, diamonds, stars, and more.

As soon as you select a new shape, all the data points in that series on your chart will update instantly. While you're in this menu, you can also adjust the Size of the marker to make it larger or smaller.

Step-by-Step Visual Guide (Entire Series)

• Step 1: Right-click a data point and select "Format Data Series..."
• Step 2: In the new pane, click the paint bucket icon ("Fill & Line").
• Step 3: Click "Marker" to expand its options.
• Step 4: Under "Marker Options", select "Built-in" and choose a new shape from the "Type" dropdown.

How to Change the Shape of a Single Data Point

Often, you don’t want to change every point in a series. Instead, you want to call attention to a single, specific point - like your highest monthly revenue or the week a marketing campaign went viral. Excel makes this possible with a slightly different selection method.

The key is a deliberate two-click process:

1. First click: Select the series. Click once on any data point in the series. You'll see that all the markers in that series become highlighted.
2. Second click: Isolate the point. Now, wait a moment and then click again on the specific data point you want to customize. This time, only that single marker will remain selected.
3. Right-click the selected point: With only one point selected, right-click it and choose Format Data Point... from the context menu.
4. Change the shape: The "Format Data Point" pane will open on the right - it looks identical to the "Format Data Series" pane. From here, the steps are the same: go to Fill & Line > Marker > Marker Options > Built-in, and select your desired shape and size from the dropdown menu.

For example, if you have a line chart showing monthly sales, you could find the month with the highest sales, click twice to select that point, and change its shape to a star. This subtle change instantly adds a layer of analysis to your chart without needing extra text or callouts.

Going Further: Using Custom Images as Data Markers

For truly unique and branded reports, you don't have to stick to Excel's built-in shapes. You can use any picture or icon as a data marker, such as your company logo, product icons, or simple symbols that relate to your data.

The process starts the same way - you either select the entire data series or a single data point using the two-click technique described above.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Select your target: Click once to select the entire series or click twice to select a single data point.
2. Open the formatting pane: Right-click and choose either "Format Data Series..." or "Format Data Point..."
3. Navigate to Marker Options: Just as before, go to the Fill & Line tab and expand the Marker section.
4. Select the "Picture" option: In the Marker Options, instead of choosing "Built-in," select the Picture radio button.
5. Insert your image: An "Insert picture from" section will appear. Click the Insert... button to browse for an image. You'll get three choices:

Once you select your image, it will immediately appear as the data marker on your chart. This method is fantastic for creating highly customized visualizations that align with your branding or the story you’re telling.

Tips for Using Custom Image Markers

• Use transparent backgrounds: Images with transparent backgrounds (like .PNG files) often look best, as they don't have a solid white box around them. This helps them integrate more cleanly into your chart.
• Keep it simple: Complex or busy images can clutter your chart. Simple icons, logos, or solid shapes generally work better than detailed photographs.
• Mind the size: Excel will automatically resize the image, but you may need to adjust the marker size to ensure it's not too large or too small to be understood. You can do this in the marker size settings.

Final Thoughts

Fine-tuning the appearance of your data points in Excel is a straightforward adjustment that adds a remarkable amount of clarity and professionalism to your reports. Whether you’re emphasizing a key achievement with a single star or distinguishing between data sets with different shapes, this technique empowers you to tell a clearer, more engaging story with your data.

Of course, building these compelling reports from scratch and manually updating them every week can become draining. That's why we built Graphed, to automate the busywork and get you straight to the insights. By connecting your marketing and sales data sources just once, you can ask for dashboards and reports in simple conversational language - no more right-clicking menus or hunting for formatting options. We handle creating real-time, shareable dashboards so you can focus less on chart-building and more on making data-driven decisions that grow your business.