Comments on: Axis Labels, Numeric Labels, or Both? Line Graph Styles to Consider

By: Ann's Blog | How to Place Labels Directly on Top of Your Line Graph

Ann's Blog | How to Place Labels Directly on Top of Your Line Graph — Thu, 14 Jan 2016 13:29:33 +0000

[…] recently discussed four options for labeling line graphs. A personal favorite is to place the labels directly on top of the data points, like […]

By: howdmc

howdmc — Sat, 07 Nov 2015 17:12:53 +0000

Fantastic article and highly practical. Thank you.

By: Angie Ficek

Angie Ficek — Fri, 06 Nov 2015 19:50:31 +0000

I never thought of centering the numeric data labels over the data point on a line chart – love it! I’m totally guilty of often using Option C. I will have to work on that.
Thanks for sharing!

By: ZombieGuide2Speaking (@MoreBrainz)

ZombieGuide2Speaking (@MoreBrainz) — Tue, 03 Nov 2015 23:36:23 +0000

Great walkthrough of these ideas. The best answer is audience. The only reason for graphs and not columns of numbers if if the graphs can communicate an objective better, which is often not the case. So what is facilitated by adding the graphic metaphor (in this case of spatial distance to stand in for a contracting and then expanding difference)? Which of the options facilitates that best? I’d argue that data labels like the last image, but with ’09 added, would help tell the clearest story here.

By: Kathleen Lynch

Kathleen Lynch — Tue, 03 Nov 2015 17:46:40 +0000

I like the fact that you ended your post with a question: Which do you prefer? Because, although some options are obviously BAD (i.e., too cluttered to make heads or tails out of), among other options, there could be several choices that work depending, of course, on your purpose, but also on just what appeals to you aesthetically, as you pointed out.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and your work. It really helps to have you tease apart the different components.