Format a visual

Select a visual on a DataPrism report page and its formatting sections open in the side panel. This page is the reference for every section: what it changes, the labels it shows, and how your changes are applied.

Open the formatting sections

1. Select Edit in the report header. It appears only when you can edit the report. For saving, see Build a report.
2. Select a single visual on the page; editing needs a single selection. The side panel shows its Fields, Visual and General tabs.
3. Open Visual for the formatting sections below. The tile's General settings carry Properties, Title, Effects and Limits.
4. Each section is a collapsible card, and sections appear only for the visual types they apply to.

Set the title and the KPI text

• Title: Show title turns the title on or off, and the text field sets the words. Leave the field empty and the visual keeps its own tile name; the placeholder reads Use the tile name. A title renders only on chart types that support one.
• KPI: Label (placeholder Measure name) renames the number's caption. Show comparison, Comparison title and Lower is better control the comparison beside it.

Set colours

• Data colours lists one colour per series. Select a swatch to change it, and reset an override to return to the palette colour. Before the visual has a result, the section reads Run the visual to see its series here.
• Palette colours resolve for the light and dark theme, so the same choice can look different on another theme.
• Pie, Donut, Funnel, Table and Matrix have no per-series colour list: their colours key on the row values.
• On Cards, Background offers Standard, Series and Custom. With Series, the colour list is read-only.

Set the axes and the legend

• Axes appears for Bar, Line and Combo: Show X axis, Show Y axis, Show horizontal gridlines and Show vertical gridlines. Show secondary Y axis appears on Combo only.
• Legend appears for Bar, Line, Combo, Pie and Donut: Show legend, and Position with Left, Right or Bottom (default Bottom). A long legend scrolls instead of shrinking the plot.

Lay out bars and lines

• Bar layout on a Bar: Orientation (Vertical or Horizontal) and Layout (Clustered, Stacked or 100% stacked).
• Line layout on a Line: Type (Line or Area) and Show data markers.

Labels and value formats

• Data labels: Show data labels turns values on the visual on or off, and Label contents chooses what a label shows. With several measures you can format one measure at a time. Table, Matrix and KPI always show their values, so they hide the switch.
• Values: Format offers Auto, Number, Currency and Percent; a date measure offers Auto or Date instead. A Currency format adds a currency picker: USD ($), EUR (€), GBP (£), CNY (¥), RUB (₽), GEL (₾) and JPY (¥). Decimal places and Thousands separator stay hidden while Format is Auto, and a Date format uses Pattern (placeholder dd/MM/yyyy).
• Show value as on a Matrix: pick a value column, then No calculation, % of parent row total or % of parent column total. Choosing No calculation removes the setting.

Set up tables and matrices

• Table: Grand total adds a total row.
• Matrix: Auto-expand rows, Auto-expand columns, Row +/- icons, Row subtotals, Column subtotals, Row subtotal position (Top or Bottom), Row grand total, Column grand total, Show values on rows, Stepped layout and Drill mode.
• Cell formatting and Column formatting appear for Table and Matrix; they are covered on Cell and column formatting.

Funnel, tree and slicer options

• Funnel: Conversion between stages and Overall conversion.
• Decomposition tree: Cross-filter on select. The Default path list shows the levels a reader starts from: lock a level with Lock level {N} (tooltip Lock for readers) and clear the list with Clear default path. Before anything is picked, the list reads Expand the tree on the canvas and choose Set as default to give readers a starting path.
• Slicer: Style (List, Tile or Dropdown), Layout (Wrap, Column, Row or Grid) with Columns and Rows steppers, Selection (Multi-select or Single select), Show "Select all", Show search and Show "Selected only". Force selection keeps at least one value selected; a field parameter slicer always keeps it on. A date field also offers Date styles: Between, Before, After and Single. A saved date style on a non-date field falls back to List.
• Slicer group: always a row of dropdowns, so it has no style or date controls. Use the group's Column select (All columns) and Reset to group default.

Map and custom visual sections

• On a Map, the Map and 3D sections appear in the pane; their settings are covered on Map visual.
• On a custom visual, Visual options mounts the visual's own options, and Interactions sets Acts as (Visual or Slicer) and how it takes Selection from other tiles (Filter or Highlight). See Custom visuals.
• Compare-capable tiles add Comparison and Comparison scope; their rules are on Compare mode.

Limits

Each row under General > Limits caps how much data the visual loads, with the default and maximum shown under the field. While you type, nothing commits: every commit re-runs the visual, so the value lands when you press Enter or click away, rounded and kept between 1 and the maximum. Press Escape to revert. Use the reset control (title Reset to default ({default})) to return to the default. A row that cannot apply keeps its value, disables its field and shows a note instead of the help line, for example Applies when the Legend well is empty.

For the defaults and maxima per visual type, see Visuals.

How changes are applied

Formatting belongs to the visual, not the report: two tiles of the same type can carry different formatting. Changes apply as you make them and are saved with the report, and only edit mode can change them. On a Matrix, expanding rows and drilling are part of what an author saves with the report.

Questions, answered

Why is there no colour picker on my Pie or Donut chart?

Pie, Donut, Funnel, Table and Matrix have no per-series colour list: their colours key on the row values. Per-series colours apply to the chart types that draw named series, such as Bar, Line and Combo.

Why can't I pick Percent for a date measure?

A date measure only offers Auto or Date. Number, Currency and Percent are formats for numeric measures.

Where do I change the number of decimal places?

In the value's format: open Values (or a measure's format under Data labels), choose a format other than Auto, then set Decimal places. While Format is Auto, the field is hidden.

What title does a visual use if I leave the title text empty?

The tile's own name. The field's placeholder reads Use the tile name, and a typed title replaces it.

Why does my legend scroll?

A long legend caps at a fixed number of visible rows and scrolls, so the plot keeps its size instead of losing space to the legend.

Why is one of the limits fields greyed out?

That limit cannot apply in the current configuration, so the row keeps its value, disables the field and shows a note explaining when it applies, for example Applies when the Legend well is empty. Change what the limit depends on to make it active again.

Why can't I clear the last value in a slicer?

Force selection is on, and it refuses an empty selection. Keep at least one value ticked, or turn the setting off; on a field parameter slicer it is always on.

Why did my slicer's date style go back to List?

A date style is only offered for a date field. When the slicer's field is not a date, a saved date style falls back to List.

Are my formatting changes shared with everyone?

They are saved with the report, so its readers see them once you save. Formatting is per visual, so changing one tile does not restyle the others, and only edit mode can change it.

Why is the Show data labels switch missing on my Table?

Table, Matrix and KPI always draw their values, so there is nothing to hide and the switch is left out.