This step-by-step Word Gantt chart tutorial illustrates how to create professional Gantt charts right inside the popular discussion processor.

Microsoft Word Gantt Chart Professionals who wish to create a Gantt nautical chart in Microsoft Word can do then using the tool's Stacked Bar feature and some transmission formatting. Even so, since the software is primarily designed for editing copy and lacks a built-in Gantt feature, it may not offer too much flexibility when it comes to more refined customizations or regular updates.

If yous demand to create impressive Gantt charts and update them ofttimes for recurring presentations, PowerPoint may testify faster and more than efficient. Beneath, I will demonstrate how to brand a Gantt chart both manually in Discussion and automatically in PowerPoint. If you wish to larn how to make a timeline in MS Word, please see our timeline tutorial hither.

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How to manually make a Gantt chart in Word

i. Build a basic Stacked bar graphic

Open a new Word certificate and set up the orientation of the page from Portrait to Landscape to go more space for your Gantt nautical chart. To practise so, go to the Layout tab on the Word ribbon and click on Orientation.
Go to the Insert tab and select Nautical chart from the Analogy section.
In the All Charts window that pops upward, select the Bar category and choose Stacked Bar every bit the type of graphic to utilise for your Gantt chart.

two. Add your project schedule data.

Once you complete the steps in a higher place, Word will generate a standard chart like the ane below along with an Excel table where yous can supersede the placeholder data with your own.

Standard Stacked Bar Chart in Word Quick tip: Yous can change the type, mode and colour scheme of your chart from the Design tab highlighted in the prototype above or by clicking on the small brush symbol on the right side of the graphic. You can too resize the visual by clicking on the chart area and dragging its sizing handles until y'all attain the desired height and width.

To begin working on your Gantt nautical chart, you first demand to outline the main phases or tasks of your project. In one case you make up one's mind the project tasks, yous can and then assign a start appointment, end date and elapsing (number of days in which a task is carried out) to each of them:

Enter your tasks' descriptions or titles in column A of the Excel table visible in your Word document. Every bit you listing the task names, the items will be stacked upwards on the graphic, the first task being displayed at the bottom of the graphic and the last one at the elevation.
Rename the columns entitled Series 1, Serial 2, and Series three into Offset Date, End Date, and Duration (days), respectively.
To properly brandish the get-go and terminate dates of your tasks, you may wish to format columns B and C before entering your information. To do then, select the two columns, right-click on them, and cull Format Cells from the shortcut menu. In the dialogue box that pops up, pick Date from the Category list and select the desired date format from the Blazon menu.
Once the right format for columns B and C is gear up, y'all tin can type in your tasks' Start and End dates. Notation: Don't worry if the graphic seems to be off after yous enter the dates. We volition set this quickly as soon every bit we make full out the Duration column.
Calculate the elapsing of your showtime task past typing the formula =$C2-$B2 in cell D2. Then, select the jail cell and elevate its fill handle downwards across cavalcade D. This will use the same formula to the rest of the cells under Duration.
Now that yous've calculated the job durations, you don't need the Stop Date series anymore, then you lot can remove information technology from the graphic to make the Duration series visible. To do and so, select the chart and then:

i. Click on the Chart Filters button (the funnel symbol on the right side of the graphic);

ii. Uncheck the box to the left of Finish Date, under the Serial group;

iii. Click on Utilise.

One time you've filtered out the Finish Dates, your nautical chart should look similar this:

3. Plough your graphic into a Gantt nautical chart

Now your graphic is getting closer to a Gantt chart, merely it'south not quite in that location yet. To turn it into a Gantt, you'll need to make the blue bars transparent and then that but the gray ones remain visible. The remaining bars will represent the tasks of your Gant chart. To do this:

Click on whatever of the blue bars on your chart to select the whole serial.
Right-click on the pick.
In the mini toolbar that pops up, click on the Fill button and select No Fill.

The resulting Gantt chart should look like this:

4. Customize your Gantt nautical chart

With your Gantt chart set up, yous can at present make farther customizations to personalize it and brand it meliorate fit for presentations.

To make your graphic stand out more than, you tin can apply a diverseness of styles and effects to it from the Chart Tools Format tab on the Give-and-take ribbon. In my example, I chose to add a slight shadow to the plot expanse using Shape Effects and applied a Quick Manner to all the tasks to make them popular out.
Y'all can likewise recolor private tasks to draw attending to item phases or activities. To do then, select the desired task bar (you may demand to click on it twice), so correct-click on it, and and then go to Fill in the shortcut card to alter its color.
If yous want to reverse the tasks' lodge, double-click the list of job descriptions on the left side of the chart. And so, in the Format Axis pane that opens, you lot need to tick the checkbox in front of Categories in contrary order, nether the Axis Options group.

You will notice that the commencement task is now displayed at the top of your Gantt nautical chart and the last one at the bottom, with the date markers also moved from beneath to the peak of the graphic.
gantt-chart-word
To bring the task bars closer to the vertical centrality of your graphic, double-click on the date series above the bars to open up its settings in the Format Centrality pane on the correct. Here, in the Axis Options group, increase the Minimum number under the header called Premises to adjust the leftmost boundary of your chart. In my example, I changed the initial number from 43200.0 to 43300.0.
In my example, I too decreased the width of my task bars so at that place would be more than space between them on the graphic. To exercise the same, select your tasks and so:

i. Correct-click on the selection and cull Format Data Series from the shortcut card that appears;

ii. On the right, under Series Options, increase the percentage in the box next to Gap Width. For my Gantt chart, I raised it to 175%.
Finally, you may as well desire to remove the legend generated automatically by Word as information technology can be a fiddling disruptive. Just select it, press Delete, and that's it. In the terminate, your last Gantt chart can look like to this:

Download MS Word Gantt nautical chart template

Download PowerPoint Gantt chart template

How to automatically brand a Gantt chart in PowerPoint

Making a Gantt nautical chart in Microsoft Discussion is possible, but customizing and updating information technology can turn out to exist too time-consuming. PowerPoint is a faster and simpler choice if you need to build impressive visuals for recurring communications.

Below you lot will learn how to automatically create a Gantt nautical chart in PowerPoint using a lightweight add-in called Office Timeline. To get started, you lot first need to install Part Timeline Bones, which will add a Gantt chart maker tab to the PowerPoint ribbon.

ane. Open PowerPoint and add your information into the Office Timeline Basic wizard

Become to the Function Timeline Basic tab on the PowerPoint ribbon and click on New.

You will be taken to a gallery with a multifariousness of Gantt chart templates and styles you tin cull from.
Select the template you want to use for your graphic by double-clicking on information technology, and so click Apply Template in the preview window. For my example, I volition choose a custom Gantt chart template made earlier.
Now, in the Data Entry wizard, you can either enter your chore descriptions and dates manually or copy-paste them from an existing Excel schedule. This is where you can besides beginning making a few styling choices, such equally changing the shape or color of each task. When prepare, click the Create button.

ii. A new Gantt Chart slide will exist instantly generated in PowerPoint

Depending on the template used and the styling choices you make, y'all can get a Gantt nautical chart slide similar to this:
Once y'all've generated your Gantt nautical chart, yous tin can restyle or update information technology automatically with Office Timeline Basic. You tin can add or edit data at any time, change fonts, colors, shapes, positions or spacing, and include extras such as Time Elapsed, Task Elapsing or Notes. In my example above, I chose to insert a few milestones likewise, reposition task titles, and add together Percentage Complete to make the visual clearer.

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