A chart inside a document answers a question before the reader reaches the paragraph that asks it. RixDocs inserts bar, line and pie charts directly into the page through the ChartInsertModal — no spreadsheet round-trip required — and stores them as native .docx chart content that Word understands.
Insert your first chart
- Click in the text where the chart belongs.
- Open the Insert tab and choose Chart. The ChartInsertModal opens.
- Pick the chart type — Bar, Line or Pie.
- Fill the data grid: categories across the rows, series values in the columns.
- Add a chart title and confirm. The chart appears inline, sized to the column.
Double-click the inserted chart to reopen the dialog and adjust data, type or styling. Changes re-render instantly, so refining a chart is a matter of seconds rather than rebuilding it.
Choosing the right chart type
Each of the three types has a job it does best:
| Type | Best for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Bar | Comparing values across categories | Revenue by region |
| Line | Showing a trend over time | Monthly active users |
| Pie | Showing parts of a whole | Budget share by department |
If you are torn between pie and bar, take the bar: human eyes judge bar lengths more accurately than pie angles, especially beyond three or four slices. Pies shine when one slice dominates and the message is that dominance.
Working with the data grid
The ChartInsertModal data grid behaves like a mini spreadsheet:
- Rows are categories (months, regions, products); columns are series (2025, 2026).
- Add or remove rows and columns as needed before confirming.
- Values are numbers; the chart scales its axis to fit.
For data that lives in RixSheets, copy the range and paste values into the grid — the numbers carry over and the chart builds from them.
Styling and placement
Once inserted, a chart is a document object like an image:
- Resize with the corner handles; the chart re-renders at the new size.
- Wrap it inline with text or float it with wrapping, exactly like images.
- Caption it with a textbox or a styled paragraph underneath.
Colors and the title are set in the chart dialog. Keep one palette across all charts in a document — consistency reads as professionalism, and matching colors to your page design ties the document together.
Charts alongside tables and fields
Charts pair naturally with the other structured content in RixDocs:
- Put the source data in a table and the chart beside it, so readers can verify the numbers.
- Number figures with cross-references and bookmarks — see links, bookmarks and cross-references — so captions stay correct as the document grows.
- Use page fields in the footer so printed charts land on findable pages.
Print and PDF behavior
Charts render as vectors on export, so a PDF export keeps lines and text sharp at any zoom. Printed output uses the same rendering, and a chart that fits the column on screen will fit the page on paper.
What to explore next
- Tables guide for presenting the numbers behind the chart.
- Equations and fields for dynamic values like dates and page numbers.
- Views and navigation to check how charts look in Page Preview before printing.