Whether you're using it for business in the office or to keep track of your finances at home, Microsoft Excel can be a great organizational tool. It can also lead to confusion until you become comfortable with it. Making a graph with a z-axis in Excel does not have to be confusing. The vertical y-axis and horizontal x-axis together depict date in two dimensions, and the z-axis takes the assimilation and presentation of data one step further into the third dimension. To use the z-axis, you simply need to know where to plug your information into Excel.
Step 1
Open Microsoft Excel and enter your data into the vertical columns. Highlight your data. Click the "Insert" tab, then click the "Chart" button under it.
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Step 2
Choose the graph you prefer, making sure that it is in 3-D. Click "Press and Hold to View Sample" in order to preview the chart you selected before applying it. Click "Next" once you have found the chart that works best for your purposes.
Step 3
Enter your data range by highlighting the appropriate columns of data and then clicking the button beside the field your selected information appears in. Click the "Series" tab to edit or modify your data series and their names.
Step 4
Click "Next," then click the "Titles" tab of the next window. Type in a title for your graph and titles for the x, y, and z axes.
Step 5
Click the "Axes" tab for options to make your axes' information visible or invisible. Click the "Gridlines" tab to make gridlines visible or invisible. Click the "Legend" tab to make your legends visible or invisible. You can also use this tab to determine legend placement.
Step 6
Click "Data Labels" to choose which pieces of series information and titles you want to show out of all you have entered.
Step 7
Click "Data Table" to view all of the series data you have entered in your graph in table form.
Step 8
Click "Next." Select your chart location and placement in the final window that pops up. Click "Finish."
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