Set the base
Open your chart’s Properties → Appearance and pick a palette that works on white backgrounds. Avoid low-contrast colors for overlapping series. With Operator10 chart appearance dialed in, your team can read trends at a glance.
Titles and labels that help (not clutter)
- Titles: Keep them short. Use unit hints in the Y-axis title when needed.
- Point labels: Turn off for long ranges; turn on for single-day or 7-day snapshots.
- Axes and grid: Light grid lines help, heavy ones distract. Use subtle ticks and let the data lead.
Legend placement
Move the legend outside the plot when you have 3+ series. Rename series to plain terms (“Influent BOD,” “Effluent BOD”) so the legend is the quick key, not a puzzle.
Margins and borders
Use Chart → Border for a thin frame if you print. Adjust margins so long titles and legends don’t overlap the plot.
Consistent styles
Save one “house” look: palette, background, legend position, and label sizes. Apply that to future charts for a consistent review experience. Operator10 chart appearance consistency reduces re-explaining and speeds meetings.
Accessibility check
- Simulate grayscale: do lines still differ by style (dash/width)?
- Check projector legibility: if it’s washed out at 10 feet, increase line weights 1–2 steps and bump label size.
Export clean
When exporting, preview as PDF to catch cut-off titles or crowded legends. Fix margins in Properties → Diagram and re-export. A clean PDF saves back-and-forth.
Result
Better choices on palette, labels, and legend placement make the same data easier to trust. Operator10 chart appearance is a quick win: no new data, just better readability.
Next Steps: Standardize your chart look in Operator10 →
