How should you include a 2021 year-end sales chart in a PowerPoint presentation from Excel?

Inserting a picture of the chart into a PowerPoint presentation offers several advantages, particularly in terms of simplicity and presentation quality. By capturing the chart as an image, you ensure that the formatting, colors, and overall design remain intact and visually appealing when displayed. This method also avoids any issues that might arise from linking directly to an Excel file or pasting directly, which could lead to formatting inconsistencies or broken links during the presentation.

While copying and pasting the chart directly into PowerPoint might seem convenient, it can sometimes result in unexpected changes to the chart's layout or design that may not reflect well in the final presentation. Furthermore, linking to the Excel file can create dependency issues; if the PowerPoint file is opened on a different device or if the Excel file is moved, the link may break, causing the chart to not display at all. Exporting as a PDF doesn’t serve the purpose of embedding a chart in a PowerPoint slide.

Overall, inserting a picture of the chart helps to maintain the integrity of the data visualization while also providing a clean and professional look for your presentation.