Let’s keep the formulas aside. This time you can learn a cool Chart tip in Google Sheets. Do you know how to create a Column chart with red colors for negative bars in Google Sheets?

In Google Sheets, you may not see any option to have separate colors for negative and positive values in a Column or Bar chart. I mean automatically. In fact, there is no option like Invert Color that you can see in Excel charts.

But it’s possible and quite simple to plot a Column chart with red colors for negative bars in Google Sheets.

This tutorial is about Charts in Google Sheets. In this, you can learn how to automatically change the bar colors of negative values in Google Sheets.

Workaround to Change the Negative Value Colors in Column Charts in Sheets

With formatting your chart data correctly, you can create a Bar/Column chart with red colors for negative bars in Google Sheets.

Any Excel users reading this tutorial?

I am asking this because, as said above, In Excel you can use the Format Data Series > Invert color feature to change the negative bar colors. I am leaving this in detail as those tips you can easily find by searching on the web.

Note: If you are unsure about which chart is suitable for your dataset, then read this guide – Choose Suitable Chart for Your Spreadsheet Data.

Create a Column Chart with Different Colors for Negative Bars in Google Sheets

Similar to multi-category charts, here also we can tweak the data formatting for the column Charts.

In Excel, there is no need to format the data differently. You can use the normal formatting of column charts like categories in one column and the values in another column.

You must format the data differently to create a Bar/Column chart with red colors for negative bars in Google Sheets.

Column Chart in Google Sheets with the Same Colors for Negative and Positive Bars

Here is the normal formatting for Column chart with the same color bars for negative values and positive values.

This is the default Column chart. After that, you can learn how to automatically change the color of negative bars to red.

Data Formatted to Create a Column Chart with Same Color Bars for Negative and Positive Values:

This is the normal formatting of data for Column chart. If you want to master data formatting for Charts go through this guide – How to Format Data to Make Charts in Google Sheets.

I am sure you are aware of how to create a Column chart with the same color for negative as well as positive values. If you know, just skip reading and jump to the next subtitle below.

Step 1:

Select the data A2:B13.

Go the Insert menu and click “Chart”.

Google Sheets will analyze your data and may correctly plot the chart for you. If you are not seeing a chart as below, jump to the additional steps posted below the image.

Inside the “Chart Editor” panel, under the “Setup” tab, make sure that chart type is column chart. Also below that, the following are the settings applied.

Now let us see how to plot a Bar or Column chart with red colors for negative bars in Google Sheets. That’s our topic. Before proceeding one more thing.

I am detailing the column chart only. If you prefer the Bar chart, that you can simply do by changing chart type in the Chart editor panel. Other steps are the same in Column and Bar charts.

How to Get Column Chart with Red Colors for Negative Bars in Google Sheets

In order to get different colors for positive and negative values in a Column chart format the above data as follows.

Data Formatted to Create a Column Chart with Different Color Bars for Negative and Positive Values:

That means you must move all the -ve values into a different column.

When you create a Column chart with different colors for negative values, there are three columns involved.

• Category column.
• Positive value column.
• Negative value column.

So select all these columns first. As per my example, you can select the range A2:C13. Then go to Insert > Chart.

Change chart type to column chart, if already not. Needless to say, this setting you can find under the Chart editor > Settings tab.

In that tab, here are the other setups.

• Stacking: None
• Data Range: C2:C13

See the x-axis and Series settings below:

Under the customize tab go to Legend and change Position to None. Your chart with different colors on negative and positive bars are ready.

Finally, if you want you can customize the color of the negative bars as well as the positive bars.

To do this click on the Series tab under the Customize and change the color.

That’s all.

Additional Resources:

1. How to Get Dynamic Range in Charts in Google Sheets.
2. How to Move the Vertical Axis to Right Side in Google Sheets Chart.
3. Create a Gantt Chart Using Sparkline in Google Sheets.
4. How to Create a Site Organisation Chart in Google Sheets.