How do I create custom axes in Excel?

Question

I'm creating a "histogram" and need the values of "frequency" to be displayed in ascending or descending order, which means that I need custom values for the x-axis. Instead of having:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

I need to have this be values of cells:

85 93 45 43 67 89 43

Is there anyway of doing this?

Answer 1

Lay out your data in the following format:

Category        Frequency
 85           3
 93           6 
 45           12
 43           20
 67           13
 89           5
 43           2

Start by inserting a new blank chat. Do not select any data. I would suggest using a column chart for this. Just go to Insert -> Chart -> Column -> 2D Column. It should be blank:

On the Design tab of the Chat Tools section of the Ribbon, click on Select Data. Under legend entries, click Add.

Select the Series Values box (not the "Series Name" box), and click+drag to select all of the data in the frequency column.

Click OK. Now, back in the Select Data dialog, click Edit on the "Horizontal Axis Labels".

Click+drag to select the Category column:

Now click OK on everything and set whatever other legend, title, and other settings you wish!

Answer 2

Next time you make this kind of chart, clear the label above the column of X values (A1 here, "Category"). The blank cell indicates to Excel that the first column and top row are different, so Excel will use the first column for axis labels and the first row for series names.