Line and area
Lines and bands that show how values change over time.
The idea
Line and area charts put time on the horizontal axis and let a line or a filled band carry the change. The shape matters more than any single value: rises, falls, seasonality and turning points. Use them when the data is in time order and the reader cares about direction, not only the latest number.
Where to use it
- Sales, traffic and other metrics over months or years
- Prices, rates and indices
- Comparing a few series on the same time scale
- Totals over time, split into their parts
Templates
Start from any of these templates and swap in your own data.
Line chart
Area chart (unstacked)
Streamgraph
Line chart (with highlight)
Area chart (stacked)
Line chart (searchable)
Area chart (proportional)
Line chart (projected)
Area chart (with color highlight)
Line chart (year-on-year comparison)
Surplus and Deficit Area Chart
Step chart
Line + area
Shaded difference line chart
Horizon chart
Fan chart
Grid of area charts
Line chart with markers
Racing Areas
Cycle Plot
Show all 22 templates
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