Chart typeLong labels

Bar chart

Horizontal bars for rankings and long category names.

Bars run left to right, so category names sit on their own line and stay readable however long they are. It is the natural choice for rankings and survey answers.

Get it on Adobe Exchange All chart types

Bar chart, DataInk for Adobe InDesign — Drawn as native InDesign objects: paths, rectangles and live text in your styles.

Plugin options

Options for this chart

1
Rounded ends
Round the outer end of each bar, from square to fully rounded.
2
Group gap and bar gap
Space between categories and between the bars of one category.
3
Value labels
Outside the bar, inside its end or inside its base, formatted with your number settings.
4
Axis and gridlines
Gridlines, tick marks, axis line and weights, or no axis at all when every bar carries its value.

Also available for every chart

Colours and styles: DataInk object styles, one colour in tints or a swatch group of your document; your own paragraph styles for axis labels, values and legend.
Legend: Below or beside the chart, or as an InDesign table you style like any other.
Numbers: Number format of 14 locales, decimals, prefix and suffix (€, %, kg), compact numbers (12K).
Size: Width and height in your document's unit, or fit a frame you drew beforehand.
Data: Panel grid, large data editor, paste, Excel and CSV import, or a linked InDesign table.
Presets: Save the look, reuse it, and share it with your team as a file.

Editorial guide

When to use it

Typical use

Rankings, survey answers, comparisons between many items, and any category names longer than a word or two.

Better avoided

Time series: readers expect time to run left to right, so use columns or lines.

Layout tips

Sort the bars from largest to smallest unless the categories have their own order.
With value labels on, drop the gridlines and keep the chart light.
Keep one colour for a single series; save colour for highlights.

Data structure