Changing Chart Types in PowerPoint 2013 for Windows

PowerPoint 2013 for Windows provides all the basic chart types such as Column, Bar, Line, Pie, etc. (see Figure 1), and also some advanced charts like Radar, Surface etc. (see Figure 2). Together, all these chart types work for almost every kind of graphical data representation.

Figure 1: Column, Bar, and Pie Chart Types

Figure 2: X Y (Scatter), Surface, and Radar Chart Types

To change a chart type from one to another, you first need to insert a chart in PowerPoint 2013 for Windows.

Now, follow these steps to change the chart type in PowerPoint 2013 for Windows:

1. Select the chart to activate the Chart Tools tabs in the Ribbon area, as shown in Figure 3. All put together, there are two Chart Tools tabs (highlighted in red within Figure 3, below).
2. 
   Figure 3: Chart Tools tabs
Note: The Chart Tools Design and Format tabs are contextual tabs. These tabs are special tabs in the Ribbon that are not visible all the time. They only make an appearance when you are working with a particular slide object which can be edited using special options.
2. Select the Chart Tools Design tab of the Ribbon (highlighted in red within Figure 4, below). Click the Change Chart Type button (highlighted in blue within Figure 4, below).
3. 
   Figure 4: Change Chart Type button
3. Doing so summons the Change Chart Type dialog box, as shown in Figure 5, below.
4. 
   Figure 5: Change Chart Type dialog box
5. As you can see in Figure 5 above, the left pane of this dialog box displays a list of chart types to choose from, and on the right side, you will see sub-types based on the chart type chosen in the left pane, and you can also see the preview of the selected sub-type chart.
4. Select the type and the sub-type you want. In Figure 6 you can see that we have selected Line chart type. Then, click the OK button.
5. 
   Figure 6: Line Chart selected within the Change Chart Type dialog box
5. Now, you can see that your chart on the slide has been changed to the type you selected, as shown in Figure 7, below.
6. 
   Figure 7: Column chart changed to Line chart
6. Save your presentation.