Learn · Analysis · Lesson 5 of 7
Charts for a report or a slide
You willThe right size and paper for where the chart goes, notes on the chart, and files that print sharply.
Time3 min
Why it mattersA chart for a slide, a phone and a printed page each need a different shape, and a few words on the chart beat a legend.
Try it in Plotlay → Opens an example project with this lesson beside it. Nothing to install.
Steps
- Open a chart in Analysis.
- Under Look, set the Size: Wide 16:9 for slides and the web, Square 1:1 or Upright 9:16 for a phone, A4 to print. Type grows with the page so it reads at that size.
- Under Notes on the chart, add + A line at a year where something changed, or + A callout to one bar with a few words.
- Under Look, choose the Paper: Drafting film, White paper or Dark.
- Choose PNG, large for print (four times its size), or SVG with its fonts written in.
Tips
- Every download is kept in Documents produced, so Make again draws it from the data as it is now.
- Under Numbers as, choose Dollars or Percent and the decimals; type a unit such as m² after the numbers.
- Under Words on each bar, hatching, write words inside or under each bar with numbers in braces ({schools_compared} schools), add a marker at another value, and hatch a part that is notional.
Common mistakes
- A square chart with a long title: keep titles short for small sizes, and say the detail in the subtitle.
Words in this lesson
- Saved document (preset)
- A document’s settings kept by name in the project, such as a room pack of the wet areas. Make again produces it from the project as it is now.
Related lessons
Make a chartA ranked bar chart, a line over time, a heat map or a scatter from any table or data layer, in a click or two.3 minSnapshots and a one-page briefKeep charts and numbers as snapshots, lay them out on a board, and export it as a PDF, PNG or PowerPoint.4 min
Steps checked in the app on 8 November 2026.