Get started formatting report visualizations

Applies to: ✅ Power BI Desktop and Power BI service

If you have permission to edit a report, use the Format visual pane to change how its visuals appear. For example, you can format colors, axes, labels, backgrounds, shapes, and titles.

Open a report in Power BI Desktop or the Power BI service. In the Power BI service, select Edit from the menu bar.

Select a visual on the report canvas to display its options in the Visualizations pane.

Screenshot of a selected visual and its options in the Visualizations pane.

Select the paintbrush icon to open the Format visual pane. The pane displays the formatting options available for the selected visual.

Screenshot of the Visualizations pane with the Format visual icon selected.

When you scroll through an expanded formatting section, the section header remains visible at the top of the pane. The visible header helps you keep track of the section you're editing while you review its settings.

Screenshot of the Power BI Visualizations pane with the Colors and Data colors section headers visible while scrolling through color settings.

Formatting options include legends, axes, colors, labels, plot areas, titles, backgrounds, borders, shadows, tooltips, and visual headers. The available options depend on the visual type.

Note

Not every visual supports every formatting option. For example, a pie chart doesn't have an x-axis, so its formatting options don't include x-axis settings.

The following sections introduce common formatting tasks. You can undo changes or reset settings to their defaults.

Change colors in a visual

Use the Color control to change the colors of a visual:

  1. Select a visual.

  2. Open the Format visual pane, and find the Color control.

  3. To format a specific series or visual element instead of all elements, select it under Apply settings to.

  4. Select the Color control to open the color picker, and then select a theme data color.

    Screenshot of the Color control and Apply settings to options for choosing and formatting a series.

  5. To choose a color that isn't in the theme, select More colors.

    Screenshot of the Color control with the color picker open and options for more colors and resetting to default.

  6. To color visual elements based on rules or field values, select fx to apply conditional formatting.

The available color options depend on the visual type and its data. For more guidance, see Color formatting tips and tricks.

Reset to default options

Use Reset to default in the Format visual pane to remove formatting changes. You can reset an entire visual or an individual section.

  • To reset the entire visual, select Reset all settings to default.

  • To reset a section, select its Reset settings to default icon.

    Screenshot of an expanded formatting section with the Reset settings to default icon highlighted.

Within a section, you can also reset an individual group without changing other settings in that section.

Screenshot of the Border group with its Reset settings to default icon highlighted.

Apply a style to a table

Tables and matrices include style presets that apply a coordinated set of formatting options.

  1. Select a table or matrix.

  2. Open the Format visual pane, and expand Style presets.

    Screenshot of the Style presets settings in the Format visual pane.

  3. Select a style from the menu.

    Screenshot of a table with the Bold header, flashy rows style preset applied.

After you apply a preset, you can continue to format individual properties of the visual.

Add data labels

Data labels display values directly on a visual. To add and format them:

  1. Select the visual, and open the Format visual pane.
  2. Expand Data labels, and turn the setting On.
  3. Use the available options to format the label font, color, position, background, and display units.

The available settings depend on the visual type. If data labels don't appear, enlarge the visual or view the report in full-screen mode.

Customize data labels

For column, bar, line, and ribbon charts, you can add more information to data labels and control their layout.

Screenshot of data label settings for the title, value, detail, and visual label layout.

  • Title: Display a field, such as a legend field, as the label title. You can format its font, color, and transparency.
  • Value: Choose the field to display as the primary value, format its appearance, and control how blank values appear.
  • Detail: Add a secondary field or metric to the label and format its appearance.
  • Visual label layout: Display the label on one line or multiple lines.

Add total labels

Total labels display the aggregate value for a stack or series. They're available for stacked charts, combo charts, and area charts.

  1. Select the visual, and open the Format visual pane.
  2. Expand Total labels, and turn the setting On.
  3. To display only the aggregate value, expand Data labels, and turn the setting Off.

Screenshot of the Total labels settings and a stacked column chart with an aggregate total above each column.

Related content

For more information, see the following articles:

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