Formatting & Customizing Visuals
Formatting transforms basic charts into polished, professional-looking reports. Power BI provides extensive formatting options for every visual.
Accessing Format Options
- Click on a visual to select it
- In the Visualizations pane, click the Format icon (paint roller 🖌️)
- Expand sections to customize
General Formatting Options
| Category | Options |
|---|---|
| Title | Show/hide, text, font size, color, alignment, background |
| Background | Color, transparency |
| Border | Show/hide, color, radius |
| Shadow | Add drop shadow effect |
| Visual Header | Show/hide icons (filter, expand, etc.) |
| Padding | Inner spacing around the visual |
Data Labels
• Show values directly on chart elements • Customize: font, size, color, position (inside, outside, above, below) • Display units: Auto, Thousands, Millions, Billions • Decimal places: 0, 1, 2, or custom
Axis Formatting
X-Axis / Y-Axis: • Show/hide axis title and labels • Set min/max values • Change font size and color • Adjust label rotation • Set scale type (linear, logarithmic) • Add gridlines for reference
Legend
• Position: Top, Bottom, Left, Right, Top-Center • Font size, color, and family • Title text customization • Show/hide
Conditional Formatting
Apply dynamic formatting based on data values — makes data patterns instantly visible.
Types of Conditional Formatting:
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Background Color | Cell/bar background changes based on value |
| Font Color | Text color changes based on value |
| Data Bars | Mini bars inside table/matrix cells |
| Icons | ⬆️ ⬇️ ➡️ icons based on value ranges |
| Web URL | Make values clickable links |
Steps to Apply:
- In a Table or Matrix, right-click a value field
- Select Conditional Formatting → Choose type
- Configure rules (rules-based, gradient, or field value)
- Click OK
Themes
Built-in Themes: • Go to View → Themes → Select a preset theme • Changes colors, fonts, and styles across the entire report
Custom Themes: • Create a JSON theme file with custom colors, fonts, and formatting • Import via View → Themes → Browse for themes • Ensures brand consistency across all reports
Best Practices
• Keep formatting consistent across all visuals • Use your organization's brand colors • Don't overload visuals with too many data labels • Use conditional formatting to highlight exceptions, not everything • Add clear titles to every visual • Use tooltips to provide additional context without cluttering