Excel or PPT: How to have two pie charts, but one legend

Question

I would like to design a slide that shows two pie charts of the same size side-by-side, but with a single legend that is centered on the page beneath both charts. I can easily create one of the pies with a legend on the bottom, but the problem is when I delete the legend from the other pie, the pie increases in size.

1. Any ideas for accomplishing this in Excel and/or PowerPoint

2. Does anyone know of alternatives to the MS Office suite? We used to do this easily in Harvard Graphics, but it's not fully compatible with the latest Windows.

Answer 1

I had the same problem. Just solved it like this:

1. create both pie charts separately
2. give them their titles, but switch off the legends
3. align them as close as possible
4. make sure the box's shape outline is white
5. zoom in as much as possible and take a screenshot with both pies and titles in it then
6. take one of the two pie charts and fit it to the page size
7. switch the legend back on
8. draw a white box over the big pie
9. insert the cropped screenshot on top
10. center it manually Hope that helped.

Answer 2

Multiple options:

1. Excel:
   • Put two charts next to each other
   • Make sure both charts have the same number of data series (one could easily be blank)
   • Remove borders of charts
   • Disable gridlines or set all cells in the background to white
   • Show legend only in one chart
   • Size the charts so the legend one has ~60% width and the other 40%
   • Place the legend on the right (or make it "free floating" and move it to the right)
   • Size both pies in the chart object so they are the same

2. PowerPoint or Excel
   • Create both charts without legend (but again making sure they have the same number of data series)
   • Place them next to each other but leave some space in between
   • Draw the legend manually with shapes

HTH!

Answer 3

What you need essentially is two charts in the same graph.
With two data series selected the charts would be displayed one on top of other in excel
This is How -to by microsoft to display the charts side by side , although it is for office 2000 it should work on whatever version you have

Answer 4

My solution is tested in Excel 2013.

1. Create both charts separately.
2. Remove titles, legends, and borders.
3. Place both charts side by side.
4. Click the left chart and increase its width to double the size.
5. While still on the left chart, click Design, Add Chart Elements, Legend, Right (this move will push the pie to the left and leave space for the other pie).
6. Drag the legend to the bottom for now.
7. Drag the right chart and move its pie next to the left pie as close as possible.
8. While still on the right chart, right click to get Format Chart Area. Click on Fill and select No Fill (so as to make this chart transparent).
9. Adjust the legend at the bottom to center it between the two pies.
10. Add a title at the top.
11. While pressing down Ctrl, click on both charts and the title box. Then right click to select Group.

Answer 5

I solved it like this (not with pie chart - not a fan of pie charts)

1. Copy one of the two charts under the two charts, this will become the "legend"
2. Delete legend of both the main charts
3. Delete axes and lines from the "legend" chart
4. Make the drawing area of the graph teeny tiny
5. Make the legend area as large as the chart area
6. Change the legend area's fill to full - white

Voila.