Create Great Charts in Google Slides

If you need to create a pie chart, a bar graph, or any type of chart, consider using a template. Using a template is the best way to produce a presentation that’s not only professional but also saves you time creating a graph from scratch.

Using charts and graphs in your presentation helps the audience visualize what you’re saying. Data visualization is essential because it allows people to better understand the topic being presented.

Professionally designed charts and graphs can be found in many Envato Elements and GraphicRiver templates.

Different Types of Charts & Graphs: When to Use Them

There are many different types of charts that you can create and add to your Google Slides presentation. In this tutorial, we’ll focus on six of them:

1. Vertical Bar Charts

Vertical bar charts are useful for comparing different sets of data. This type of chart works best when you have a limited number of data sets to analyze, with bars displayed next to each other. For example, you could use a vertical bar chart to track album sales by band.

2. Stacked Bar Charts

Stacked bar charts stack bars on top of each other to present data within a group and allow for comparisons. An example would be comparing sales strategies across different products, where each bar represents a product and the segments represent various strategies.

3. Bar Graph

A bar graph can be utilized to compare different items or show changes over time. It resembles a vertical bar chart but is oriented horizontally. For example, you could illustrate fruit stand sales, comparing different types of fruit over a specified period.

4. Line Graph

Line graphs are ideal for showing progress over time and can display multiple categories. For example, you could track daily muffin sales throughout the week, with units sold on one axis and days of the week on the other.

5. Pie Chart

Pie charts are effective for illustrating data in percentages, particularly when the data sums to 100 percent. For instance, you could represent the percentage of different types of animals in an apartment complex with a pie chart.

6. Data Chart

Data charts are useful for showing multiple sets of complex data, helping your audience visualize the information. For example, you could track various animal populations in a wildlife sanctuary across different zones.

If you’re looking for charts, Google Slides graph templates are available from Envato Elements and GraphicRiver.

How to Quickly Create Charts & Graphs From Professional Templates

If you’ve been researching how to create graphs in Google Slides, customizing a template can save you significant time compared to starting from scratch. In this section, you’ll learn how to quickly create three types of charts and graphs from a professional Google Slides template, specifically using the Public Google Slides Template from Envato Elements.

1. How to Quickly Create a Pie Chart With a Google Slides Template

Let’s start with customizing a pie chart template slide, specifically slide #137.

This is what the pie chart template looks like without any modifications.

For this example, I will change the pie chart to represent pet ownership in an apartment complex. Ensure the data fits within one category for clarity.

To begin, double-click the title text box to change the title, and adjust the subtitle if necessary. You can also resize the chart as needed.

To create a standard pie chart, delete the inner circle of the chart by right-clicking on it and selecting Delete.

Next, you can add percentages and modify the pie slices by clicking and dragging the handles at the edges of the slices.

2. How to Quickly Create a Bar Graph With a Google Slides Template

Next, we’ll create a bar graph using slide #94 from our template.

For this tutorial, let’s illustrate fruit stand sales.

To modify the title and subtitle, click on the respective text boxes and type over the existing text. You can also delete any unwanted text.

To change the height of a bar, click on the bar, and use the handles surrounding it to adjust its size. You can also change the color of the bar by selecting it and using the Shape Fill icon in the toolbar.

Make sure to match the colors of your key with the graph for consistency.

3. How to Quickly Create a Data Chart With a Google Slides Template

Lastly, we’ll create a data chart using slide #84 in our template. Data charts are particularly helpful for presenting multiple sets of data.

Change the title by clicking on the text and typing your desired title. You can also modify the description box in a similar manner.

Next, add your data by clicking inside the relevant boxes and replacing the existing text. To edit column titles, click inside each cell, delete the old title, and enter the new one.

To change the color of column headings, select the box and use the Shape Fill icon to choose your desired color.

Now you’ve successfully customized a pie chart, bar graph, and data chart template to fit your presentation needs.