How to Shade an Area of a Graph in Excel (With Easy Steps)

In this example, we’ll consider a watersports business. They offer the Activity cruise, Nature cruise, and Sunset cruise. Here, we will analyze the business in 4 Seasons.

Step 1 – Input Data

Input your necessary information in an Excel worksheet. For this case, we input the Seasons.
We inserted the total number of people on each cruise in the respective seasons.

Step 2 – Create Minimum and Maximum Columns

Create a new column named Maximum. We’ll use it to retrieve the maximum number of people from a particular season.
Select cell F5.
Insert the formula:

=MAX(C5:E5)

Press Enter.
Use the AutoFill tool to complete the column.

Add a Minimum column.
Choose cell G5 and insert the formula:

=MIN(C5:E5)

Press Enter to get the minimum number of people.
Use AutoFill to fill in the rest.

Read More: How to Create an Area Chart in Excel

Step 3 – Insert a Line Graph

Select the range B4:G8.
Go to the Insert tab.
Click the 2-D Line graph from the Charts section.

We want to perform a relative analysis of Nature cruise only. Select the other lines (Sunset and Activity) and press Delete.
You’ll see the Nature cruise series only.

Step 4 – Add the Maximum Line and Format to Shade an Area

Click on the chart and right-click to open the context menu.
Click Select Data.

The Select Data Source dialog box will pop out. In the Legend Entries field, press Add and select the Maximum column.
Choose the Season column in the Horizontal Axis Labels box.
Press OK.

You’ll get the Maximum line.
Select the line and go to the Insert tab.
Choose the 2-D Stacked Area chart.

You’ll see the following figure.

Read More: Excel Stacked Area Chart Change Order

Step 5 – Place the Minimum Line and Shade an Area of a Graph

Select the chart.
Go to the Select Data option from the Context Menu.
In the pop-out dialog box, choose the Minimum column in the Legend Entries.
Select the Season columns as shown below.
Press OK.

You’ll get the below graph. The Minimum series is added to the graph.

Select the Minimum line.
Choose the 2-D Area chart as demonstrated below.

You’ll see the shaded regions.

Read More: Excel Area Chart Data Label Position

Final Output

Select the Minimum series.
Choose Format Data Series from the Context Menu.

This will return the Format Data Series pane. Under the Fill tab, check the circle for Solid Fill.
Choose the Color White.
Choose No line in Border.

You’ll get a clearer graph.

Select the Gridline and press Delete.
The lower boundary of the shaded region is the Minimum line. The upper one is the Maximum.
The Green colored line is our Nature cruise series.