Chart typeDense categories

Stacked bar chart

Horizontal stacks for composition across many groups.

The horizontal version of the stacked chart: each bar is a total split into parts, with room for long group names on the left.

Get it on Adobe ExchangeAll chart types
Stacked 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. 1

    Group gap

    Thickness of the bars through the space between them.

  2. 2

    Rounded ends

    Round the outer end of each stack.

  3. 3

    Value labels

    Each part's figure inside its segment, in the light inside-label style.

  4. 4

    Axis and gridlines

    Gridline steps, tick marks, axis line and weights.

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

Composition across many groups with long names: time spent per channel by age, budget split by department.

Better avoided

Many thin segments: labels no longer fit and the eye cannot compare them.

Layout tips

  • Keep the same part order and colours across every chart of a report.
  • Turn on value labels when there are few parts and enough room.
  • Sort groups by total, or keep their natural order (ages, years).

Data structure

Sample data

Groups in the first column, one column per part of the stack.

Paste a table like this one, import it from Excel or CSV, or click in an InDesign table with the same layout.

Age groupPrintWebSocialVideo
18 to 241598
25 to 342676
35 to 493654
50 to 645533
65 and over7312

Other chart types

Previous chart: Stacked column chartNext chart: 100% stacked chart
100% stacked chartShares of a whole, compared across categories.Line chartTrends and change over time.Area chartVolume and its change over time.Combo chartColumns and lines together, with a second axis.Pie chartParts of one total.Doughnut chartA pie with room in the middle for a key figure.

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