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When you create a line graph in Excel, the lines are angled and have hard edges by default. You can easily change this to a curved graph with nice, smooth lines for a more polished look. We’ll walk you through the process step by step to convert your graph.

In this example, we want to create a curved line graph from this data on cookie sales.

Sample data for a line graph

Select and highlight the range A1:F2 and then click Insert > Line or Area Chart > Line.

Create a line graph

The line graph is inserted with straight lines corresponding to each data point.

The first line graph with straight lines

To edit this to a curved line, right-click the data series and then select the “Format Data Series” button from the pop-up menu.

Format the data series of a line graph.

Click the “Fill & Line” category and then check the box for “Smoothed Line.”

Format a data series as a smoothed line

Using a smoothed line can help make your line graphs look smarter and more professional.

Curved line graph showing cookie sales

Smoothed lines can also be a clever way of distinguishing one data series from another. For example, targets from actuals or last year to this year.

RELATED: How to Work with Trendlines in Microsoft Excel Charts

Profile Photo for Alan Murray Alan Murray
Alan Murray has worked as an Excel trainer and consultant for twenty years. On most days, he can be found teaching Excel in a classroom or seminar. Alan gets a buzz from helping people improve their productivity and working lives with Excel.
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