Chart Maker
Turn a table or pasted CSV into a bar, line, area, pie or doughnut chart. Customize colours, labels and titles, then download a high-resolution PNG.
Data
First column = labels · header row = series names · Enter moves down| Actions | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I make a chart from my data online?
Type your numbers into the table or paste CSV/TSV copied from Excel or Google Sheets. The first column holds the category labels and the header row the series names. Pick a chart type and the chart updates instantly.
Can I paste data straight from Excel or Google Sheets?
Yes. Copy the cells, paste them into the Paste CSV / TSV box and press Import. Tabs, commas, semicolons and pipes are detected automatically, and values like 1,234.5 or 12% are read as numbers.
How do I download the chart as a PNG image?
Press Download PNG. The image is exported at twice the on-screen resolution so it stays sharp in slides and documents, with a white or a transparent background depending on the option you choose.
Why does my pie chart show only one series?
A pie or doughnut chart shows how one total is split into parts, so it uses only the first data series. To compare several series across categories, switch to a bar, stacked bar or line chart.
Are the colour palettes colour-blind friendly?
The Okabe–Ito and Tol Bright presets were designed to stay distinguishable for the most common types of colour blindness. You can still override any series colour, and adding data labels helps readers who cannot rely on colour.
Is my data uploaded to your servers?
No. The table, the chart and the PNG export are all generated by Chart.js in your browser. Nothing you type or paste is sent, stored or logged, so you can chart confidential figures safely.
Choosing the Right Chart Type
The best chart is the one that answers your reader's question at a glance. Start from the question — "which is biggest?", "how did it change?", "what share is each part?" — and pick the chart built for it:
| Question | Best chart | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Compare categories | Bar (horizontal for long labels) | Pie with many slices |
| Trend over time | Line, or area for one series | Unordered bars |
| Parts of a whole | Pie / doughnut (≤ 5 slices) | Stacked area with many layers |
| Composition across groups | Stacked bar | Several pies side by side |
| Ranking | Sorted horizontal bar | Doughnut |
Bar charts are the safest default: people compare lengths far more accurately than angles or areas. Use a line when the x-axis is continuous time and the shape of the change matters more than individual values. Keep pie and doughnut charts for a single total split into a handful of parts that add up to 100%.
Data Visualization Best Practices
- Start bar charts at zero
Bar length encodes the value, so a truncated axis exaggerates small differences. Line charts can zoom in on a range, but say so in the axis title.
- Write a title that states the insight
"Mobile overtook web in May" tells the reader what to look for; "Visitors by channel" makes them work it out. Add units to the value axis title (k visitors, €, %).
- Limit colours and series
Beyond six or seven series, colours become hard to tell apart. Group small categories into "Other" or split the data into several simple charts.
- Don't rely on colour alone
About 1 in 12 men has some form of colour-vision deficiency. Use a colour-blind safe palette, turn on data labels, or order the legend to match the data.
- Sort when order has no meaning
Sorting categories by value turns a bar chart into an instant ranking. Keep natural order only for time periods or ordinal scales such as survey ratings.
- Remove chart junk
3D effects, heavy gridlines and shadows add ink without adding information. A clean chart with a clear title and labelled axes reads faster.
How to Format Your Data
Lay the data out as a simple grid: the first column contains the category labels (months, products, regions) and each additional column is one series, with its name in the header row. This is exactly the shape you get when copying a range from Excel or Google Sheets, so you can paste it as-is. Empty or non-numeric cells are treated as gaps, and numbers may use thousands separators, decimal commas, percent signs or currency symbols.
Related Tools
- CSV ⇄ JSON Converter — reshape data before charting it.
- Excel to JSON Converter — pull data out of XLSX workbooks.
- Color Palette — find brand colours for your series.
- Contrast Checker — make sure labels stay readable.
- Palette Generator — build harmonious colour schemes.