iWork Tutorial: Use 3D charts for professional presentation in Numbers

Using 3D charts in Numbers is a great way to make your data look stylish, professional and more interesting. Although setting up a 3D chart is easy once you know how, there are so many options available that it can be mind-boggling. This guide not only includes a basic step-by-step, showing you how to create a 3D chart, but it also aims to give you an overall insight on how to utilise the many options available to you. From adding texture fills to using the Inspector palette and knowing the difference between a 3D-stacked bar and a 3D-stacked area, here’s all you need to know and more.

1: Select a graph
Go to the Chart drop-down menu at the top of the interface. From the right-side (the left-side are 2D charts) select the chart you want to use and click.

2: Input data
To input data, select the field and type. To go across, use the Tab key, to go down use Return. To add rows or columns, hold down the Control key and click.

3: Resize
To change the size of the chart, select it, click on a corner point and drag. Use the 3D Chart box to change the angle (see right for more info).

4: Change colour
Select the section of the graph you want to change, click on Fill and either select from the palette or click Show Colors for the colour wheel.

5: Series options
You can continue to edit the section individually. Go to Series Options (top-left) to display values (click the text to change font) or use the Chart Inspector to reorder.

6: Inspector
Use the Inspector palette to continue editing your chart. To remove the lines, select them and head to the top of the interface. Select None from the menu.

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