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Get chart success with Numbers

Mac Life

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May 2025

Create spreadsheets, charts, tables, and more

Get chart success with Numbers

Numbers is a very powerful app, but if you're not used to spreadsheet software, it may take a little while to get used to. These tips will help.

1 Explore the templates

The easiest way to get a grip on the Numbers app is to look at the templates it provides. See how the individual cells interact, how they supply the information used in charts and graphs, and how differing elements in a Numbers document interact. And if there's a template that's close to what you need, use that as your starting point, replacing the sample information in the template with your own figures.

2 Editing table

You can resize a Numbers table by clicking and dragging the icon in the bottom-right corner. You can also set the number of rows and columns by dragging the two-line icons in the bottom-left or top-right corners.

3 Add/remove columns

In a table, click on the lettered header above the columns. From the contextual menu, choose Add Column Before or Add Column After to add a new, blank column, or Delete Column to remove the one you're working on.

4 Freeze headers

When a spreadsheet grows and you have to scroll, you might want the information on what you're cross-referencing to stay on the screen. This is the information in the top row and left-hand column, which are often different colors to the rest of the table. To freeze these headers, keeping them visible while you add more data, click on the table, go to the Table menu in the menu bar, and select Freeze Header Rows and/or Freeze Header Columns. Click either again to unfreeze them.

HOW TO Add text and media

image1 Laying out

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