Mastering Contour Plots in Excel: A Comprehensive Guide

Contour plots in Excel are quite good way to visualize 3-dimensional data in a 2-dimensional space. They see how a particular variable changes across two dimensions. With the third dimension represented by contour lines or colors. But contour plots may seem complex at first. Yet, they are easy to create in Excel to understand them more. Because it may be difficult to see in a table or chart.

We provide everything you need to know to create and customize contour plots in Excel. Also we cover the basics of contour plots, how to create them using Excel tools. And how to customize them to make them more visually appealing and informative.

What are Contour Plots in Excel?

Contour plots in Excel are easy tool for visualizing data in 3D. This type of graph visually represents the relationship between three variables. In this type, each variable represented by a different axis. Contour plots can identify patterns you may not see in a 2D graph.

Understanding the Basics of contour plot excel

Before looking at the specifics of creating and customizing contour plots in Excel, it is important to understand the basics of them.

1. A contour plot is a graphical representation of a 3-dimensional surface. But it is on a 2-dimensional plane.
2. The surface is divided into a series of contours representing lines of constant values for a particular variable.
3. Contour plots are useful for visualizing how variable changes across two dimensions. Such as time and temperature or height and weight.
4. Contour plots can be created using Excel tools as well.

Creating Plots in Excel: excel contour plot add in

Now that you understand the basics of contour plots. Here’s what you need to do for advances ones.

1. Your data should be in three columns: one for the x-axis variable, one for the y-axis variable and one for the z-axis variable. For example, if you are plotting temperature and pressure over time, your columns might look something like this:

1. First, you select your data and highlight all three columns.
2. Then, you can insert a 2D contour plot. And you will go to the Insert tab on the Excel ribbon, select the Charts dropdown and choose the 2D contour plot option.
3. Once your plot is created, you can customize it in a number of ways.
4. You can change the color scale to make the contour lines more visually appealing.
5. Adding title and axis labels are easy.
6. Also, you can adjust the contour levels to show more or less detail in your data.

Customizing Plots in Excel: how to plot contour in excel

While Excel’s contour plot tool is a great starting point, you may want to customize your plot further. So, you can to make it more visually appealing or informative.

1. By default, Excel uses a rainbow colour scheme for contour plots. But you may want to choose a different colour scheme for your audience.
2. Again here, Excel chooses the contour levels for you. Yet, you can manually adjust them to show more or less detail in your data. This can help you emphasize important trends.
3. You can add labels and annotations to your contour plot. So that, you will highlight important features. Or you can provide additional context for your audience.
4. If you want to display your data differently, you can change the chart type. For example, you could create a 3D surface chart or a heat map instead of a contour plot.

Only 4 Easy Steps: how to make a contour plot in excel

Step 1: Prepare your data for contour map excel

The first step in creating a contour plot in Excel is having data in correct format. The data should be arranged in columns or rows. And with each column or row representing a different variable. And you should organize them in ascending order.

Step 2: How to insert a 3D Scatter Chart

The next step is to insert a 3D scatter chart. You can do it by selecting your data. And then, you will be clicking on the Insert tab. Now, you can select the Scatter Chart option and choose the 3D Scatter option.

Step 3: Adding Contour Lines

If you wish to add contour lines, we must select the chart and click the Chart Elements button. From there, you will select the Contour option and choose the desired contour level. Excel will automatically generate contour lines for our chart. Buy you can customize it further by adjusting the contour level. Or adding colour and shading.

Step 4: Format the Chart

The final step in creating a contour plot is to format the chart. You can do it by selecting the chart. After that, you can click on the Format tab. Now on, you can adjust the chart title, axis labels and other formatting options.

FAQs about Contour Plots in Excel

What types of data for contour color chart?

Contour plots are best for data varying across two dimension. For example, temperature and pressure over time or height and weight across a population.

How do I choose the right contour levels for my data?

Choosing the right contour levels depends on your data and what you want to do. If you want to show detail, you may want to use more contour levels. If you want to emphasize broader patterns, you can use fewer contour levels.

Is it Possible to add multiple data sets to a single surface chart in excel?

You can add multiple data sets to a single contour plot by selecting the data from each set. And after creating a new contour plot. Also, you can then overlay the plots on top of each other to see how the variables interact.

Conclusion

Contour plots great to visualize complex data in visually better way. While they may seem complex at first, they are easy to  customize in Excel. Hence, you can create contour plots to learn more about details of your table.