how to cause negative numbers in a chart to show in a different color

use conditional formatting.

select the cell(s) you want to format

open the cell formatter

click the "Conditional Highlighting..." button

now click the "Add a Rule..." button to add a new rule:

for each rule you should add rules that apply to numbers and setup as shown.

Then click "Done"

Add two columns to your table where you have one column that only includes positive data and another that includes negative data.

for positive data the formula would be something like (assuming original data is in column B)

=if(B>=0, B, "")

for negative data the formula would be:

=if(B<0, B, "")

then plot the columns two columns. set the negative series to be red.

I reordered the columns so that original data is last (to make crating the chart easier)

OK. Let me know when you find that way. I love learning new things.

you can use the method I proposed using a separate table that takes input from your original data:

here

A2=Original Data::A2

B2=IF(Original Data::B2≥0,Original Data::B2, "")

C2=IF(Original Data::B2<0, Original Data::B2, "")

fill down as needed

you can move the "Chart Data" Table out of the way too

Hi Jeff,

I will paraphrase Wayne here.

"You should use the tool that suits your needs"

quinn

Jeff,

Curious about your use case. In a table a red font make sense as a visual cue for negative numbers. But in a chart you already have a prominent visual cue: the downward direction of the columns. Isn't color best reserved for showing other things in charts -- different series, etc.?

No doubt Excel charts can be "tortured" to do what you want. I find them amazingly customizable. But Numbers is pretty good on visual esthetics in charts, and Wayne has shown you an easy way to do what you want.

SG

Asking 'why would I want that' is a comment best left unsaid, i asked how to do it, not should I do it.

Ok, but it was a question, not a comment. Sorry you aren't satisfied with efforts of various people to help you here, and apologize for asking about your use case. Let that remain a mystery. 🙂

SG

Hi Jeff,

I have seen many cases when the key question is, "Why are you trying to do that?" Often times when that question is answered a solution can be offered that addresses the underlying problem. If you don't want to answer- no problem.

quinn

How do you do this in Excel? I am looking for the option but not finding it. I am not a power user of Excel, though.

I don't know why you are adverse to creating new columns. The typical way to do it for a single series in Numbers has been suggested already, use a formula to create a column of the positive values, another formula to create a column of the negative values, and plot both columns. I prefer a stacked bar chart because it preserves the correct bar spacing on the chart.

But you are plotting two columns of data already. For that, there is no good solution. You would have to create two stacked bar charts and overlay them to look like one. We showed that recently in another thread.