Datylon Chart Library - Column Chart Resource Page

Column chart

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DATYLON > CHART LIBRARY > COLUMN CHART

What is a column chart?

 
A column chart is a variation of a bar chart turned by 90 degrees. Indeed, a column chart is a type of chart that resembles a bar graph with bars positioned vertically. 

The difference between a column chart and a bar chart is in the usage of labels. Bar charts can handle long categorical labels, while column charts work better with short labels or time series.

Column charts are better than bar charts for cases when categories have a natural order, like income levels or education levels. Column charts are very easy to read and are easily recognised by the general public.

Column chart examples & inspiration

Scroll and click on the images below to find inspiration samples of column charts. With your Datylon account, you can use these designs, customize them and update them with new data. 

Variations of column charts

The charts below are variations of a column chart. To learn how to make them with Datylon, check out the bar chart user documentation in the Datylon Help Center.
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Bar chart

This chart is a column chart turned by 90 degrees. The main difference is in the usage of categorical labels. Long labels don't suit column charts because of easy overlapping. For bar charts long categorial labels is not an issue.

Datylon chart library: use a grouped column chart as a variation of a bar graph
Datylon chart library: use a grouped column chart as a variation of a bar graph

Grouped column chart

This is a variation of a column chart where every category is represented by several columns communicating different aspects of the main category. Columns of each category are separated from the other categories using spacing.

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Stacked column chart

A stacked column chart shows a relation of stacks to the whole column and relations between whole column The whole column can be also presented as 100%. In this case, the stacks show a relative part to the whole column in percentages.

Alternatives to a column chart

Substitute your column chart with any of the charts below when you want a visual alternative that still allows you to compare values within and between categories.
Datylon chart library: use a dot plot as an alternative for a bar graph
Datylon chart library: use a dot plot as an alternative for a bar graph

Dot plot

A dot plot visualizes (two or more) numerical values per category in a very space-efficient way. So replacing your column chart with a dot plot can be valuable when the number of items under one category is too numerous. The whole column can be replaced with just one dot.

Datylon chart library: use a icon chart as an alternative for a bar graph
Datylon chart library: use a icon chart as an alternative for a bar graph

Icon chart

If the range of the values that are visualized is too wide and some of the columns can be lost, using an icon chart can be a good alternative. Icon charts use area rather than length to visualize values, which allows them to display a larger range of values in a compact way.

Datylon chart library: use a line chart as an alternative for a bar graph
Datylon chart library: use a line chart as an alternative for a bar graph

Line chart

It's possible to substitute your column chart with a line chart if the number of plotted columns is too large and both of the axes represent numerical or datetime values. Line charts can be a good alternative to a grouped column chart as they can noticeably reduce the visual clutter.

Pro tips for designing a column chart

Learn how to improve the readability and visual appeal of your column chart.
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Labeling

The rule of thumb for using labels in column charts is to use data labels instead of axis labels and axes themselves. By using only data labels the visual clutter is reduced and the essential information is provided.

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Coloring

Coloring of column charts follows the general rule of using color in data visualization – use color only if it communicates additional information. For any basic column chart, one color should be enough. Don’t use a new color for every column chart just to make it beautiful. It will just make a column chart harder to read.

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Highlighting

To draw attention to the most important categories of the column chart, a good solution is to highlight these columns and color all the other columns the same way in a neutral color. Our brain is programmed to notice deviations instantly. This can be done, for example, by applying changes in size, movement, or color. This way, highlighting a specific column will help catch the reader’s eye immediately.

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Sorting

Using ascending or descending sorting puts the column in order and helps the user to read the chart. It also reduces the time needed to compare the differences between different columns.

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Overlaying columns

While grouped column charts can be useful for comparing two instances of the same order, overlaying columns can spot the slightest difference between two groups of values, for example between the actual and the target value.

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Discover more charts in our Chart Library

Learn more about the different types of charts and graphs you can design with Datylon. Discover other resource pages in our Datylon Chart Library.

Learn advanced column chart tips first hand

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