Charts and sparklines are powerful data visualization tools in Excel. Here’s a guide to the most popular chart types in Excel and how to best use them.

Select the two sets of data you want to use to create the graph. Choose the "Insert" tab, and then select "Recommended Charts" in the Charts group.

Pie charts are used to show percentages of the whole, and Line charts excel with data trends. The remaining chart designs include Area, Stock, Surface, Combo, Pareto, Histogram, and Sunburst.