Small Multiples Line Charts in Excel

Updated on: Jun 2nd, 2025

Area Chart, Before/After Data Visualization Makeovers, Color-Coding by Category, Line Charts, Microsoft Excel, Small Multiples, YouTube Videos

Ann K. Emery of Depict Data Studio provides data visualization and data storytelling workshops, webinars, keynotes, and consulting.

I recently saw a graph that looked like this—accidentally combining 3 different units on the same chart:

In this 8-minute lesson, you’ll learn:

(1) how small multiples layouts can help, and

(2) how to make small multiples charts in Excel.

What’s Inside

0:00 My goal: Convince you to use MORE GRAPHS
0:32 The fictional example: 3 different variables/units
1:44 Before: Everything together in one graph
2:30 After: Small multiples
3:21 How to make small multiples line graphs in Excel
4:30 Use the “Select Data” menu to graph 1 variable/unit at a time
5:10 Copy-paste to make the additional graphs
6:24 Align and group the separate graphs together
6:55 1 lonely line? Try an area chart
7:30 What it would look like in Word
8:09 Recap of key points

Download the Excel File

It’s here.

More about Ann K. Emery
Ann K. Emery is a sought-after speaker who is determined to get your data out of spreadsheets and into stakeholders’ hands. Each year, she leads more than 100 workshops, webinars, and keynotes for thousands of people around the globe. Her design consultancy also overhauls graphs, publications, and slideshows with the goal of making technical information easier to understand for non-technical audiences.

Weekly Newsletter

Data visualization time-savers in everyday software, like Excel.

Our weekly newsletter is shared with a community of 8,000 researchers, evaluators, and scientists.