# Format Presentation Charts in Java

> Learn chart formatting in Aspose.Slides for Java and elevate your PowerPoint presentation with professional, eye-catching styling.

Source: https://docs.aspose.com/slides/java/chart-formatting/
Updated: 2026-08-05


## **Overview**

This article explains how to format charts in PowerPoint presentations by using Aspose.Slides. It shows how to customize key chart elements such as axes, grid lines, titles, legends, the plot area, and wall fills to improve the appearance and readability of chart data.

It also demonstrates how to set font properties for chart text, apply preset and custom numeric formats to chart data, and enable rounded corners for the chart area. Together, these examples show how to control both the visual style and data presentation of charts in a presentation.

## **Format Chart Entities**
Aspose.Slides for Java lets developers add custom charts to their slides from scratch. This article explains how to format different chart entities including chart category and value axis.

Aspose.Slides for Java provides a simple API for managing different chart entities and formatting them using custom values:

1. Create an instance of the [**Presentation**](https://reference.aspose.com/slides/java/com.aspose.slides/presentation/) class.
1. Obtain a slide's reference by its index.
1. Add a chart with default data along with the any of desired type (in this example we will use ChartType.LineWithMarkers).
1. Access the chart Value Axis and set the following properties:
   1. Setting **Line format** for Value Axis Major Grid lines
   1. Setting **Line format** for Value Axis Minor Grid lines
   1. Setting **Number Format** for Value Axis
   1. Setting **Min, Max, Major and Minor units** for Value Axis
   1. Setting **Text Properties** for Value Axis data
   1. Setting **Title** for Value Axis
1. Access the chart Category Axis and set the following properties:
   1. Setting **Line format** for Category Axis Major Grid lines
   1. Setting **Line format** for Category Axis Minor Grid lines
   1. Setting **Text Properties** for Category Axis data
   1. Setting **Title** for Category Axis
   1. Setting **Label Positioning** for Category Axis
   1. Setting **Rotation Angle** for Category Axis labels
1. Access the chart Legend and set the **Text Properties** for them
1. Set show chart Legends without overlapping chart
1. Access the chart **Secondary Value Axis** and set the following properties:
   1. Enable the Secondary **Value Axis**
   1. Setting **Line Format** for Secondary Value Axis
   1. Setting **Number Format** for Secondary Value Axis
   1. Setting **Min, Max, Major and Minor units** for Secondary Value Axis
1. Now plot the first chart series on Secondary Value Axis
1. Set the chart back wall fill color
1. Set the chart plot area fill color
1. Write the modified presentation to a PPTX file

```java
import com.aspose.slides.*;
import java.awt.Color;

// Create an instance of Presentation class
Presentation pres = new Presentation();
try {
    // Accessing the first slide
    ISlide slide = pres.getSlides().get_Item(0);

    // Adding the sample chart
    IChart chart = slide.getShapes().addChart(ChartType.LineWithMarkers, 50, 50, 500, 400);

    // Setting Chart Title
    chart.setTitle(true);
    chart.getChartTitle().addTextFrameForOverriding("");
    IPortion chartTitle = chart.getChartTitle().getTextFrameForOverriding().getParagraphs().get_Item(0).getPortions().get_Item(0);
    chartTitle.setText("Sample Chart");
    chartTitle.getPortionFormat().getFillFormat().setFillType(FillType.Solid);
    chartTitle.getPortionFormat().getFillFormat().getSolidFillColor().setColor(Color.GRAY);
    chartTitle.getPortionFormat().setFontHeight(20);
    chartTitle.getPortionFormat().setFontBold(NullableBool.True);
    chartTitle.getPortionFormat().setFontItalic(NullableBool.True);

    // Setting Major grid lines format for value axis
    chart.getAxes().getVerticalAxis().getMajorGridLinesFormat().getLine().getFillFormat().setFillType(FillType.Solid);
    chart.getAxes().getVerticalAxis().getMajorGridLinesFormat().getLine().getFillFormat().getSolidFillColor().setColor(Color.BLUE);
    chart.getAxes().getVerticalAxis().getMajorGridLinesFormat().getLine().setWidth(5);
    chart.getAxes().getVerticalAxis().getMajorGridLinesFormat().getLine().setDashStyle(LineDashStyle.DashDot);

    // Setting Minor grid lines format for value axis
    chart.getAxes().getVerticalAxis().getMinorGridLinesFormat().getLine().getFillFormat().setFillType(FillType.Solid);
    chart.getAxes().getVerticalAxis().getMinorGridLinesFormat().getLine().getFillFormat().getSolidFillColor().setColor(Color.RED);
    chart.getAxes().getVerticalAxis().getMinorGridLinesFormat().getLine().setWidth(3);

    // Setting value axis number format
    chart.getAxes().getVerticalAxis().setNumberFormatLinkedToSource(false);
    chart.getAxes().getVerticalAxis().setDisplayUnit(DisplayUnitType.Thousands);
    chart.getAxes().getVerticalAxis().setNumberFormat("0.0%");

    // Setting chart maximum, minimum values
    chart.getAxes().getVerticalAxis().setAutomaticMajorUnit(false);
    chart.getAxes().getVerticalAxis().setAutomaticMaxValue(false);
    chart.getAxes().getVerticalAxis().setAutomaticMinorUnit(false);
    chart.getAxes().getVerticalAxis().setAutomaticMinValue(false);

    chart.getAxes().getVerticalAxis().setMaxValue(15f);
    chart.getAxes().getVerticalAxis().setMinValue(-2f);
    chart.getAxes().getVerticalAxis().setMinorUnit(0.5f);
    chart.getAxes().getVerticalAxis().setMajorUnit(2.0f);

    // Setting Value Axis Text Properties
    IChartPortionFormat txtVal = chart.getAxes().getVerticalAxis().getTextFormat().getPortionFormat();
    txtVal.setFontBold(NullableBool.True);
    txtVal.setFontHeight(16);
    txtVal.setFontItalic(NullableBool.True);
    txtVal.getFillFormat().setFillType(FillType.Solid);
    txtVal.getFillFormat().getSolidFillColor().setPresetColor(PresetColor.DarkGreen);
    txtVal.setLatinFont(new FontData("Times New Roman"));

    // Setting value axis title
    chart.getAxes().getVerticalAxis().setTitle(true);
    chart.getAxes().getVerticalAxis().getTitle().addTextFrameForOverriding("");
    IPortion valtitle = chart.getAxes().getVerticalAxis().getTitle().getTextFrameForOverriding().getParagraphs().get_Item(0).getPortions().get_Item(0);
    valtitle.setText("Primary Axis");
    valtitle.getPortionFormat().getFillFormat().setFillType(FillType.Solid);
    valtitle.getPortionFormat().getFillFormat().getSolidFillColor().setColor(Color.GRAY);
    valtitle.getPortionFormat().setFontHeight(20);
    valtitle.getPortionFormat().setFontBold(NullableBool.True);
    valtitle.getPortionFormat().setFontItalic(NullableBool.True);

    // Setting Major grid lines format for Category axis
    chart.getAxes().getHorizontalAxis().getMajorGridLinesFormat().getLine().getFillFormat().setFillType(FillType.Solid);
    chart.getAxes().getHorizontalAxis().getMajorGridLinesFormat().getLine().getFillFormat().getSolidFillColor().setColor(Color.GREEN);
    chart.getAxes().getHorizontalAxis().getMajorGridLinesFormat().getLine().setWidth(5);

    // Setting Minor grid lines format for Category axis
    chart.getAxes().getHorizontalAxis().getMinorGridLinesFormat().getLine().getFillFormat().setFillType(FillType.Solid);
    chart.getAxes().getHorizontalAxis().getMinorGridLinesFormat().getLine().getFillFormat().getSolidFillColor().setColor(Color.YELLOW);
    chart.getAxes().getHorizontalAxis().getMinorGridLinesFormat().getLine().setWidth(3);

    // Setting Category Axis Text Properties
    IChartPortionFormat txtCat = chart.getAxes().getHorizontalAxis().getTextFormat().getPortionFormat();
    txtCat.setFontBold(NullableBool.True);
    txtCat.setFontHeight(16);
    txtCat.setFontItalic(NullableBool.True);
    txtCat.getFillFormat().setFillType(FillType.Solid);
    txtCat.getFillFormat().getSolidFillColor().setColor(Color.BLUE);
    txtCat.setLatinFont(new FontData("Arial"));

    // Setting Category Title
    chart.getAxes().getHorizontalAxis().setTitle(true);
    chart.getAxes().getHorizontalAxis().getTitle().addTextFrameForOverriding("");

    IPortion catTitle = chart.getAxes().getHorizontalAxis().getTitle().getTextFrameForOverriding().getParagraphs().get_Item(0).getPortions().get_Item(0);
    catTitle.setText("Sample Category");
    catTitle.getPortionFormat().getFillFormat().setFillType(FillType.Solid);
    catTitle.getPortionFormat().getFillFormat().getSolidFillColor().setColor(Color.GRAY);
    catTitle.getPortionFormat().setFontHeight(20);
    catTitle.getPortionFormat().setFontBold(NullableBool.True);
    catTitle.getPortionFormat().setFontItalic(NullableBool.True);

    // Setting category axis label position
    chart.getAxes().getHorizontalAxis().setTickLabelPosition(TickLabelPositionType.Low);

    // Setting category axis label rotation angle
    chart.getAxes().getHorizontalAxis().setTickLabelRotationAngle(45);

    // Setting Legends Text Properties
    IChartPortionFormat txtleg = chart.getLegend().getTextFormat().getPortionFormat();
    txtleg.setFontBold(NullableBool.True);
    txtleg.setFontHeight(16);
    txtleg.setFontItalic(NullableBool.True);
    txtleg.getFillFormat().setFillType(FillType.Solid);
    txtleg.getFillFormat().getSolidFillColor().setPresetColor(PresetColor.DarkRed);

    // Set show chart legends without overlapping chart

    chart.getLegend().setOverlay(false);

    chart.getChartData().getSeries().get_Item(0).setPlotOnSecondAxis(true);
    // Setting secondary value axis
    chart.getAxes().getSecondaryVerticalAxis().setVisible(true);
    chart.getAxes().getSecondaryVerticalAxis().getFormat().getLine().setStyle(LineStyle.ThickBetweenThin);
    chart.getAxes().getSecondaryVerticalAxis().getFormat().getLine().setWidth(20);

    // Setting secondary value axis Number format
    chart.getAxes().getSecondaryVerticalAxis().setNumberFormatLinkedToSource(false);
    chart.getAxes().getSecondaryVerticalAxis().setDisplayUnit(DisplayUnitType.Hundreds);
    chart.getAxes().getSecondaryVerticalAxis().setNumberFormat("0.0%");

    // Setting chart maximum, minimum values
    chart.getAxes().getSecondaryVerticalAxis().setAutomaticMajorUnit(false);
    chart.getAxes().getSecondaryVerticalAxis().setAutomaticMaxValue(false);
    chart.getAxes().getSecondaryVerticalAxis().setAutomaticMinorUnit(false);
    chart.getAxes().getSecondaryVerticalAxis().setAutomaticMinValue(false);

    chart.getAxes().getSecondaryVerticalAxis().setMaxValue(20f);
    chart.getAxes().getSecondaryVerticalAxis().setMinValue(-5f);
    chart.getAxes().getSecondaryVerticalAxis().setMinorUnit(0.5f);
    chart.getAxes().getSecondaryVerticalAxis().setMajorUnit(2.0f);

    // Setting chart back wall color
    chart.getBackWall().setThickness(1);
    chart.getBackWall().getFormat().getFill().setFillType(FillType.Solid);
    chart.getBackWall().getFormat().getFill().getSolidFillColor().setColor(Color.ORANGE);

    chart.getFloor().getFormat().getFill().setFillType(FillType.Solid);
    chart.getFloor().getFormat().getFill().getSolidFillColor().setColor(Color.RED);
    // Setting Plot area color
    chart.getPlotArea().getFormat().getFill().setFillType(FillType.Solid);
    chart.getPlotArea().getFormat().getFill().getSolidFillColor().setPresetColor(PresetColor.LightCyan);

    // Save Presentation
    pres.save("FormattedChart.pptx", SaveFormat.Pptx);
} finally {
    if (pres != null) pres.dispose();
}
```

## **Set Font Properties for a Chart**
Aspose.Slides for Java provides support for setting the font related properties for the chart. Please follow the steps below for setting the font properties for chart.

- Instantiate [Presentation](https://reference.aspose.com/slides/java/com.aspose.slides/presentation/) class object.
- Add chart on the slide.
- Set font height.
- Save modified presentation.

Below sample example is given.

```java
import com.aspose.slides.*;

// Create an instance of Presentation class
Presentation pres = new Presentation();
try {
    IChart chart = pres.getSlides().get_Item(0).getShapes().addChart(ChartType.ClusteredColumn, 100, 100, 500, 400);
    
    chart.getTextFormat().getPortionFormat().setFontHeight(20);
    chart.getChartData().getSeries().get_Item(0).getLabels().getDefaultDataLabelFormat().setShowValue(true);
    
    pres.save("FontPropertiesForChart.pptx", SaveFormat.Pptx);
} finally {
    if (pres != null) pres.dispose();
}
```

## **Set the Numeric Format**
Aspose.Slides for Java provides a simple API for managing chart data format:

1. Create an instance of the [Presentation](https://reference.aspose.com/slides/java/com.aspose.slides/Presentation) class.
1. Obtain a slide's reference by its index.
1. Add a chart with default data along with the any of desired type (this example uses **ChartType.ClusteredColumn**).
1. Set the preset number format from the possible preset values.
1. Traverse through the chart data cell in every chart series and set the chart data number format.
1. Save the presentation.

```java
import com.aspose.slides.*;

// Create an instance of Presentation class
Presentation pres = new Presentation();
try {
    // Access the first presentation slide
    ISlide slide = pres.getSlides().get_Item(0);

    // Adding a default clustered column chart
    IChart chart = slide.getShapes().addChart(ChartType.ClusteredColumn, 50, 50, 500, 400);

    // Accessing the chart series collection
    IChartSeriesCollection series = chart.getChartData().getSeries();
    
    // Traverse through every chart series
    for (IChartSeries ser : series) 
    {
        // Traverse through every data cell in series
        for (IChartDataPoint cell : ser.getDataPoints()) 
        {
            // Setting the number format
            cell.getValue().getAsCell().setPresetNumberFormat((byte) 10); // 0.00%
        }
    }

    // Saving presentation
    pres.save("PresetNumberFormat.pptx", SaveFormat.Pptx);
} finally {
    if (pres != null) pres.dispose();
}

```

The possible preset number format values along with their preset index and that can be used are given below:

|**0**|General|
| :- | :- |
|**1**|0|
|**2**|0.00|
|**3**|#,##0|
|**4**|#,##0.00|
|**5**|$#,##0;$-#,##0|
|**6**|$#,##0;Red$-#,##0|
|**7**|$#,##0.00;$-#,##0.00|
|**8**|$#,##0.00;Red$-#,##0.00|
|**9**|0%|
|**10**|0.00%|
|**11**|0.00E+00|
|**12**|# ?/?|
|**13**|# /|
|**14**|m/d/yy|
|**15**|d-mmm-yy|
|**16**|d-mmm|
|**17**|mmm-yy|
|**18**|h:mm AM/PM|
|**19**|h:mm:ss AM/PM|
|**20**|h:mm|
|**21**|h:mm:ss|
|**22**|m/d/yy h:mm|
|**37**|#,##0;-#,##0|
|**38**|#,##0;Red-#,##0|
|**39**|#,##0.00;-#,##0.00|
|**40**|#,##0.00;Red-#,##0.00|
|**41**|_ * #,##0_ ;_ * "_ ;_ @_|
|**42**|_ $* #,##0_ ;_ $* "_ ;_ @_|
|**43**|_ * #,##0.00_ ;_ * "??_ ;_ @_|
|**44**|_ $* #,##0.00_ ;_ $* "??_ ;_ @_|
|**45**|mm:ss|
|**46**|h:mm:ss|
|**47**|mm:ss.0|
|**48**|##0.0E+00|
|**49**|@|

## **Set Chart Area Rounded Borders**
Aspose.Slides for Java provides support for setting chart area. Methods [**hasRoundedCorners**](https://reference.aspose.com/slides/java/com.aspose.slides/IChart#hasRoundedCorners--) and [**setRoundedCorners**](https://reference.aspose.com/slides/java/com.aspose.slides/IChart#setRoundedCorners-boolean-) have been added to [IChart](https://reference.aspose.com/slides/java/com.aspose.slides/IChart) interface and [Chart](https://reference.aspose.com/slides/java/com.aspose.slides/Chart) class. 

1. Instantiate [Presentation](https://reference.aspose.com/slides/java/com.aspose.slides/Presentation) class object.
1. Add chart on the slide.
1. Set the fill type and style of the chart border line
1. Set round corner property True.
1. Save modified presentation.

Below sample example is given. 

```java
import com.aspose.slides.*;

// Create an instance of Presentation class
Presentation pres = new Presentation();
try {
    ISlide slide = pres.getSlides().get_Item(0);
    
    IChart chart = slide.getShapes().addChart(ChartType.ClusteredColumn, 20, 100, 600, 400);
    chart.getLineFormat().getFillFormat().setFillType(FillType.Solid);
    chart.getLineFormat().setStyle(LineStyle.Single);
    chart.setRoundedCorners(true);

    pres.save("output.pptx", SaveFormat.Pptx);
} finally {
    if (pres != null) pres.dispose();
}
```

## **FAQ**

### Can I set semi-transparent fills for columns/areas while keeping the border opaque?

Yes. Fill transparency and the outline are configured separately. This is useful for improving the readability of the grid and data in dense visualizations.

### How can I deal with data labels when they overlap?

Reduce the font size, disable nonessential label components (for example, categories), set the label offset/position, show labels only for selected points if necessary, or switch the format to "value + legend".

### Can I apply gradient or pattern fills to series?

Yes. Both solid and gradient/pattern fills are typically available. In practice, use gradients sparingly and avoid combinations that reduce contrast with the grid and text.