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How can I resize the Mekko Charts in my custom PowerPoint presentations?

Question –  My Mekko Charts appear too small in a PowerPoint presentation and I have to resize them manually. What can I do?

Answer – You probably need to resize the PowerPoint body placeholder or “Object Area for Auto Layouts” in your Slide Master. 

1.      Open the presentation.

2.      Click on View on the menu bar and select Master and then Slide Master.

3.      You will need to change the size of the body placeholder.  

4.      Look for the box that says “Object Area for AutoLayouts”. Click and drag to resize this   box to your desired size.

5.      Close Slide Master by changing your view to Normal on the View menu bar.

6.      The chart should be shown at the new size.

7.      When you close the presentation, you will be prompted to save changes. Click “Yes” to    save changes.

If you would like this size to be reflected in all your presentations, you will need to change the Slide Master for the Template you are using.

How do I create a Stacked Cluster Bar Chart?

Question – I see that I can create a Stacked Bar and a Cluster Bar. However, is it possible to create a Stacked Cluster Bar?

Answer –  Yes, although there is not a specific chart type for Stacked Cluster Bar Chart, it is possible to create one by following these steps.

1.      Create a Bar Mekko chart.

2.      Under the Bars menu, choose "Widths Specified by Users".

3.      Make all the bars the same width.    

4.      From the Data tab, insert a bar after every "nth" bar in your table (n = the number of    bars you wish to include in your cluster).

5.      Go to the Bars menu and choose "Make Placeholder Bars". Select each inserted bar    from Step 4. Click OK.