Sparklines Series #3

This week we are proceeding with our series on the wonderful little Excel beasts, Sparklines.

As was mentioned last week, among the several advantages for using Sparklines, is their versatility. We looked at changing Sparkline types and removing Sparklines, but as they say in cheesy TV ads, “That’s not All!” Let’s look at the following Customization Options:

Adding Text

Adding text to a sparkling cell is a Snap (or is it a Spark?)! Simply select the cell, type in the text that you want, and press Enter. The text will display in the foreground with the Sparkline in the background. Totally Cool!

Highlighting Values

Highlighting data with a Sparkline is slightly more complex, but really no big deal. First select the Sparkline, choose Sparkline Tools/Design, and select the following options from the Show group:

1.   Add your markers to all values by checking Markers (go figure…)

2.   You can show negative values by checking Negative Points (not rocket science, eh?)

3.   Showing the highest or lowest values can be accomplished by checking High Point or Low Point

4.   You can also show first or last values simply by checking First Point or Last Point (this really is a Snap!)

I suspect you are beginning to see, there is a bit more to these little Sparkline gems than first meets the eye. The next time you have five minutes to yourself, play around with the surprisingly versatile little tools, and see how you can add some more Pizzazz to your worksheets. Ciao, baby!