Swap X and Y Axes
1. Open the Excel file that contains the chart you want to manipulate.
2. Right-click anywhere within the chart itself. Choose 'Select Data' from the pop-up menu. A small data window will appear on the screen.
3. Click the 'Switch Row/Column' button in the middle of the window. Click 'OK' to confirm your changes. Your X and Y axes will now be swapped on the graph.
Alter an Individual Axis
4. Open the Excel 2007 file that holds the chart you want to change.
5. Select one of the cells that contain the information used in the axis you want to alter. Press 'Delete' to remove any incorrect information and type in whatever you want to replace it. The Excel chart will update as you type.
6. Click anywhere within the chart and click the 'Design' tab at the top of the screen. Press the 'Select Data' button on the left side of the ribbon. Press the 'Edit' button under the 'Horizontal (Category) Axis Labels' area to select a new set of cells to make up the horizontal axis. Click and hold on the first cell then drag the mouse to the last cell and release the button. If you want to remove an individual label from the axis you will first need to press the 'Switch Row/Column' button to get the X-axis items on the left side of the screen. Select the item and choose 'Remove.' Then press the 'Switch...' button again. Click 'OK' to close the window.
7. Right-click on any piece of text in the horizontal axis. Choose 'Format Axis' from the pop-up menu. A small window will appear on the screen. Click and drag the top of the window to the side of your chart so that you can see your changes as you make them.
8. Make changes to how the chart displays the tick marks in the first two sections of this window. You can also alter the 'Axis Labels' to move the labels around the chart or remove them entirely. At the bottom of the window you can alter how the two axes intersect. Click on any of the six other options on the left side of the window like 'Number,' 'Line Fill' or 'Line Style' to alter how the text appears on the axis. Click 'Close' when you are done.
9. Right-click on any text on the vertical axis and choose 'Format' axis from the menu. You can change the way that the numbers are displayed at the top of the new screen that appears. Near the middle of the screen you can alter the tick marks and axis labels and near the bottom you can change how the two axes intersect. This menu also contains an additional six settings on the left that will affect how the axis label text appears. Click 'Close' when you are done.