There are five pages of settings for area series: Format, Point, Gradient, General, and Marks. Some of these have several subpages of settings on them.

The Options subpage of the Format page has the following options:

• Stairs: turn this setting on if you want lines drawn in steps rather than straight lines between points.

• Inverted: this setting, which is only available if Stairs is turned on, reverses the direction in which stairs are drawn.

• Pattern: click this button to display the Pattern Color Editor dialog.

• Border: clicking the Border button brings up the Border Editor dialog.

• Top: click this button to display the Pattern Color Editor dialog for the top of the lines.

• Area Lines: click this button to display the Border Editor dialog for the lines connecting the X axis to the point.

• Transparency: use this setting to control the amount of transparency (in percent) of the frame.

• Dark 3D: turning this setting on displays the sides of lines in a darker shade of the line color, giving a shadowed appearance. Turning it off displays the sides in the same color as the front.

• Treat nulls: this setting allows you to determine how null, or unknown, values are treated. The choices are:
  • Don't paint: the line between a non-null and a null point is displayed but the line from the null point to the next point is not displayed.

  • Skip: the lines between a non-null point and the null point and the next non-null point are not displayed.

  • Ignore: all points are considered non-null.
    

• Color Each: turn this option on to color each item a different color. If this is turned off, all items have the same color.

• Color: click this button, which is only enabled when Color Each is turned off, to set the color of the items.
  

The Stack subpage of the Format page has the following options:

• Multiple Areas: this setting determines how areas stack when there are multiple series. The choices are:
  • None: areas do not stacked but appear front to back.

  • Stacked: areas in different series stack on top of each other.

  • Stacked 100%: areas in different series stack on top of each other with the height of the stacked areas representing the total for those areas for all series and each area being the height of its value as a percentage of the total.
    

• Stack Group: this setting, which is only available when you select Stacked or Stacked 100%, allow you to customize which series stack together. All series with the same value for Stack Group stack together. For example, to create two stacks, with the first two series in one stack and the next two in the other stack, set Stack Group for the first two series to 1 and set it to 2 for the next two series.

• Use Origin: this setting specifies whether 0 is used as the origin (turned off) or another value, which you specify in the box below this setting, is used instead (turned on).
  

The Point page has the following options:

• Visible: turn this setting on to display point symbols.

• Style: select the desired shape of the point from the drop-down list.

• 3D: turn this setting on to display points as 3-dimensional shapes.

• Dark 3D: turning this setting on displays the sides of points in a darker shade of the point color, giving a shadowed appearance. Turning it off displays the sides in the same color as the front.

• Inflate Margins: turn this setting on to rescale the chart to accommodate the size of the point symbols. If it's turned off, the chart axis scales are preserved and points close to the axis limits are only partially displayed.

• Width: this setting specifies the width of the point shape.

• Height: this setting specifies the height of the point shape.

• Pattern: click this button to display the Pattern Color Editor dialog.

• Border: click this button to display the Border Editor dialog for the point shape.

• Default: turn this setting on to use the default properties for the point shape.

• Gradient: click this button to display the Gradient Editor dialog.

• Shadow: click this button to display the Shadow Editor dialog for the point shape.

• Transparency: use this setting to control the amount of transparency (in percent) of the point shape.

The Gradient page controls the gradient settings for the area. It has the same options as the Gradient Editor dialog.

The General page has the following options:

• Show In Legend: this setting determines whether this series appears in the legend or not.

• Cursor: this setting specifies the shape of the mouse pointer when it's over any area in this series.

• Depth: you can control the depth of the areas in this series using this setting.

• Auto: turn this setting on to automatically determine the depth of the areas.

• Values: this specifies the format for values in the Y axis. You can either select one of the commonly used formats from the drop-down list or click the button beside the list to display the Numeric Format dialog.

• Percents: this specifies the format for percent values. You can either select one of the commonly used formats from the drop-down list or click the button beside the list to display the Numeric Format dialog.

• Horizontal Axis: use this setting to specify the location of the X axis labels. The choices are Top, Bottom (the default), or Top and Bottom.

• DateTime: there are two settings, one for the horizontal and one for the vertical axis. Turn the appropriate setting on to format the labels on that axis as date and time values.

• Vertical Axis: use this setting to specify the location of the Y axis labels. The choices are Left (the default), Right, or Left and Right.

• Sort: this allows you to specify how categories sort. The choices are Ascending (categories display with the smallest value at the left and the largest at the right), Descending (the opposite of Ascending), or None (the default).
  

The Style subpage of the Marks page has the following options:

• Visible: this setting determines whether point labels display for this series.

• All Series Visible: this setting determines whether point labels display for all series.

• Style: this setting specifies what text appears in point labels. It corresponds to the Style setting for point labels in the Chart Wizard but has additional options.

• Draw Every: if you don't want point labels shown for every point, set this value to higher numbers; for example, 2 means show point labels for every second category.

• Clipped: turn this setting on to prevent point labels from appearing outside the chart limits, or turn it off to allow point labels to overlap axis.

• Angle: this setting specifies the angle at which to display point labels.

• Multi line: turn this setting on to display point labels over multiple lines. This is only available when more than one value is shown in point labels, such as when Style is set to Label and Value.

• Text Align: this setting specifies the alignment for point labels: left, center, or right.
  

The Arrows subpage of the Marks page affects the lines drawn from point labels to the points in the chart. It has the following options:

• Border: click this button to display the Border Editor dialog.

• Pointer: click this button to display the Pointer Editor dialog.

• Arrow head: select the desired arrow head style from this drop-down list.

• Length: this setting specifies how long the lines between point labels and points are.

• Distance: this setting specifies the distance in pixels between the end of the line and the point.

• Size: this setting specifies the size of the line.
  

The Symbol subpage of the Marks page affects how legend symbols appear in point labels. The Format subpage has the following options:

• Visible: turn this setting on to display legend symbols in point labels.

• Pattern: click this button to display the Pattern Color Editor dialog.

• Transparent: turn this setting on to display a transparent symbol.

• Transparency: use this setting to control the amount of transparency (in percent) of the symbol.
  

The Border subpage of the Symbol subpage of the Marks page controls the border for legend symbols in point labels. This subpage has the following options:

• Bevel: this setting specifies whether symbols appear with a lowered, raised, or no bevel.

• Size: this setting, which is only available if Bevel is set to something other than None, specifies the size of the bevel.

• Frame: click this button to display the Border Editor dialog.

• Round Frame: turn this setting on to display the symbol with a round frame. You can then specify the size of the roundness.
  

The Gradient subpage of the Symbol subpage of the Marks page controls the gradient settings for symbols. It has the same settings as the Gradient Editor dialog.

The Shadow subpage of the Symbol subpage of the Marks page controls the shadow settings for symbols. It has the same options as the Shadow Editor dialog.

The Picture subpage of the Symbol subpage of the Marks page allows you to define a picture for symbols. It has the following options:

• Browse: click this button to display a dialog from which you can select the image file to use for the picture.

• Filters: brings up the Filters Editor so you can apply various graphic effects to the image.

• Transparent: turn this setting on to display a transparent picture.

• Style: this controls how the picture is formatted if the image is a different size than the symbol. The choices are:
  • Stretch: the image is stretched to fit the symbol.

  • Tile: the image is tiled to fit the symbol.

  • Center: the image is centered on the symbol.

  • Custom: turn this option on to specify where the image should be positioned using the Left and Top controls.
    
  
  

The Margins subpage of the Marks page affects the margins of point labels. It has the following settings:

• Units: determines what units the numeric settings in this page have. The choices are:
  • Percent Font: the values are a percentage of the font size.

  • Percent Size: the values are a percentage of the symbol size.

  • Pixels: the values are in pixels.
    

• Left: the left margin.

• Top: the top margin.

• Right: the right margin.

• Bottom: the bottom margin.
  

The Format subpage of the Marks page affects the frame of point labels. It has the following settings:

• Color: click this button to display a dialog in which you can select the color of the point label background.

• Pattern: click this button to display the Pattern Color Editor dialog.

• Transparent: turn this setting on to display a transparent frame.

• Transparency: use this setting to control the amount of transparency (in percent) of the frame.
  

The Border subpage of the Marks page also affects the frame of point labels. It has the following settings:

• Bevel: this setting specifies whether point labels appear with a lowered, raised, or no bevel.

• Size: this setting, which is only available if Bevel is set to something other than None, specifies the size of the bevel.

• Frame: click this button to display the Border Editor dialog.

• Round Frame: turn this setting on to display point labels with round frames. You can then specify the size of the roundness.
  

The Font subpage of the Text subpage of the Marks page affects the text in point labels. It has the following settings:

• Size: select the size of the text.

• Color: click this button to control the color of the text.

• Style: select the desired style: italic, bold, strikeout, or underline.

• Edit: click this button to display the Font dialog, which allows you to change several of the settings on this page at once.

• Name: select the name of the font.
  

The Options subpage of the Text subpage of the Marks page affects the text in point labels. It has the following settings:

• Outline: click this button to display the Border Editor dialog for the outline of the text.

• Outline gradient: click this button to display the Gradient Editor dialog for the text outline.

• Inter-char spacing: increase the value of this setting to space the characters further apart.
  

The Shadow subpage of the Text subpage of the Marks page affects the shadow of text in point labels. It has the same options as the Shadow Editor dialog.

The Gradient subpage of the Text subpage of the Marks page affects the gradient of text in point labels. It has the same options as the Gradient Editor dialog.

The Picture subpage of the Text subpage of the Marks page allows you to define a picture for point label text. It has the following options:

• Browse: click this button to display a dialog from which you can select the image file to use for the picture.

• Filters: brings up the Filters Editor so you can apply various graphic effects to the image.

• Transparent: turn this setting on to display a transparent picture.
  

The Gradient subpage of the Marks page controls the gradient settings for point labels. It has the same settings as the Gradient Editor dialog.

The Shadow subpage of the Marks page controls the shadow settings for the frame of point labels. It has the same settings as the Shadow Editor dialog.

The Picture subpage of the Marks page allows you to define a picture for point labels. It has the following options:

• Browse: click this button to display a dialog from which you can select the image file to use for the picture.

• Filters: brings up the Filters Editor so you can apply various graphic effects to the image.

• Transparent: turn this setting on to display a transparent picture.

• Style: this controls how the picture is formatted if the image is a different size than the symbol. The choices are:
  • Stretch: the image is stretched to fit the symbol.

  • Tile: the image is tiled to fit the symbol.

  • Center: the image is centered on the symbol.

  • Custom: turn this option on to specify where the image should be positioned using the Left and Top controls.