Not A Good Idea: Adding excessive 3D depth on a chart will make it difficult to accurately read the true value. For example on this Combo chart, the bar value of Label 1 is 10 but at a quick glance the value appears to be 15 due to the depth angle of the bars.

A Good Idea: A better alternative is to disable 3D depth and instead use Bar Highlights and Drop Shadow. This will simulate a softer and more natural depth effect which makes the chart readable and most importantly, accurate.

For more details, see the How-To’s linked below to help you create stunning charts!

• Creating depth with Drop Shadows

• Add some shine to your charts

• How to update pre 7.0 chart templates into the new 7.0 look

• Less is more

Stay tuned for more tips on design approaches! If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at support@visualmining.com.