{"id":13449,"date":"2014-06-19T13:42:33","date_gmt":"2014-06-19T08:12:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.fusioncharts.com\/?p=13449"},"modified":"2026-01-20T14:40:34","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T09:10:34","slug":"grid-lines-chart-junk-or-visual-aids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/grid-lines-chart-junk-or-visual-aids\/","title":{"rendered":"Grid Lines: Chart Junk or Visual Aids? 2026 Analysis"},"content":{"rendered":"Grid lines are lines drawn in the chart plot area to &#8216;assist in the visual alignment of data.&#8217; These charts can have vertical grid lines, horizontal grid lines, or both.\r\n\r\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13457\" src=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Horizontal-grid-lines.png\" alt=\"Horizontal grid lines\" width=\"727\" height=\"391\" srcset=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Horizontal-grid-lines.png 727w, \/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Horizontal-grid-lines-150x81.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 727px) 100vw, 727px\" \/>\r\n\r\n<em>Fig. 1: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/charts\/column-bar-charts\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Column chart<\/a> with horizontal grid lines<\/em>\r\n\r\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13462\" src=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Vertical-grid-lines.png\" alt=\"Vertical grid lines\" width=\"525\" height=\"509\" srcset=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Vertical-grid-lines.png 525w, \/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Vertical-grid-lines-150x145.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 525px) 100vw, 525px\" \/>\r\n\r\n<em>Fig. 2: Bar chart with vertical grid lines<\/em>\r\n\r\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13456\" src=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Horizontal-and-Vertical-grid-lines.png\" alt=\"Horizontal and Vertical grid lines\" width=\"589\" height=\"437\" srcset=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Horizontal-and-Vertical-grid-lines.png 589w, \/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Horizontal-and-Vertical-grid-lines-150x111.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 589px) 100vw, 589px\" \/>\r\n\r\n<em>Fig. 3: Bubble chart with horizontal and vertical grid lines<\/em>\r\n\r\nMany people consider grid lines as a useless carry-over from an age when charts were drawn by hand on grid paper. Back then, they needed additional lines as reference points to plot data accurately. They think that in today\u2019s era of software-generated charts, grid lines have become redundant.\r\n\r\nIn this post, we&#8217;ll walk you through the different scenarios in that grid lines can be useful and how to use them effectively, you may use <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/features\/axis-and-gridlines\">Data Charts<\/a> to improve your charts or graphs when creating data visualization.\r\n<!--more-->\r\nThere are certain scenarios in which grid lines can be useful:\r\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_71 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\"><p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<\/div><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/grid-lines-chart-junk-or-visual-aids\/#Scenario_1_To_Add_Precision_in_Large_Graphs\" title=\"Scenario 1: To Add Precision in Large Graphs\">Scenario 1: To Add Precision in Large Graphs<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/grid-lines-chart-junk-or-visual-aids\/#Scenario_2_To_Highlight_Subtle_Differences\" title=\"Scenario 2: To Highlight Subtle Differences\">Scenario 2: To Highlight Subtle Differences<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/grid-lines-chart-junk-or-visual-aids\/#Scenario_3_To_Focus_on_a_Specific_Area_in_a_Bubble_or_Scatter_Chart\" title=\"Scenario 3: To Focus on a Specific Area in a Bubble or Scatter Chart\">Scenario 3: To Focus on a Specific Area in a Bubble or Scatter Chart<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/grid-lines-chart-junk-or-visual-aids\/#How_to_Use_Grid_Lines_Effectively\" title=\"How to Use Grid Lines Effectively\">How to Use Grid Lines Effectively<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/grid-lines-chart-junk-or-visual-aids\/#Keep_Them_Subtle\" title=\"Keep Them Subtle\">Keep Them Subtle<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/grid-lines-chart-junk-or-visual-aids\/#When_Adding_Trendlines_with_Grid_Lines\" title=\"When Adding Trendlines with Grid Lines\">When Adding Trendlines with Grid Lines<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/grid-lines-chart-junk-or-visual-aids\/#When_Adding_Regression_Lines_with_Grid_Lines\" title=\"When Adding Regression Lines with Grid Lines\">When Adding Regression Lines with Grid Lines<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/grid-lines-chart-junk-or-visual-aids\/#Ready_to_get_started_building_powerful_charts_featuring_grid_lines\" title=\"Ready to get started building powerful charts featuring grid lines?\">Ready to get started building powerful charts featuring grid lines?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Scenario_1_To_Add_Precision_in_Large_Graphs\"><\/span><b>Scenario 1: To Add Precision in Large Graphs<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\r\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13452\" src=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Grid-lines-to-add-precision-in-large-graphs-1.png\" alt=\"Grid lines to add precision in large graphs 1\" width=\"684\" height=\"358\" srcset=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Grid-lines-to-add-precision-in-large-graphs-1.png 684w, \/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Grid-lines-to-add-precision-in-large-graphs-1-150x79.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 684px) 100vw, 684px\" \/>\r\n\r\nFor graphs, where data points are too far from the quantitative axis, it helps when you have grid lines to align the data to the right value.\r\n\r\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13453\" src=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Grid-lines-to-add-precision-in-large-graphs-2.png\" alt=\"Grid lines to add precision in large graphs 2\" width=\"686\" height=\"358\" srcset=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Grid-lines-to-add-precision-in-large-graphs-2.png 686w, \/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Grid-lines-to-add-precision-in-large-graphs-2-150x78.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 686px) 100vw, 686px\" \/>\r\n\r\nIt would have been difficult to measure the value for December 2013 from this chart had the grid lines not been there.\r\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Scenario_2_To_Highlight_Subtle_Differences\"><\/span><b>Scenario 2: To Highlight Subtle Differences<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\r\nCan you detect the difference between the monthly revenues of March and April from the chart below?\r\n\r\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13454\" src=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Grid-lines-to-bring-out-subtle-differences-1.png\" alt=\"Grid lines to bring out subtle differences 1\" width=\"510\" height=\"357\" srcset=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Grid-lines-to-bring-out-subtle-differences-1.png 510w, \/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Grid-lines-to-bring-out-subtle-differences-1-150x105.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 510px) 100vw, 510px\" \/>\r\n\r\nDue to their almost similar lengths, it is difficult to find out their difference.\r\n\r\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13455\" src=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Grid-lines-to-bring-out-subtle-differences-2.png\" alt=\"Grid lines to bring out subtle differences 2\" width=\"507\" height=\"357\" srcset=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Grid-lines-to-bring-out-subtle-differences-2.png 507w, \/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Grid-lines-to-bring-out-subtle-differences-2-150x106.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 507px) 100vw, 507px\" \/>\r\n\r\nIf we redraw the same chart using grid lines, it would be easier to detect their difference.\r\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Scenario_3_To_Focus_on_a_Specific_Area_in_a_Bubble_or_Scatter_Chart\"><\/span><b>Scenario 3: To Focus on a Specific Area in a Bubble or Scatter Chart<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\r\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13450\" src=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Bubble-chart-1.png\" alt=\"Bubble chart 1\" width=\"458\" height=\"355\" srcset=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Bubble-chart-1.png 458w, \/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Bubble-chart-1-150x116.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 458px) 100vw, 458px\" \/>\r\n\r\nIn a bubble or scatter chart, it is difficult to focus on a specific area because data values are scattered.\r\n\r\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13451\" src=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Bubble-chart-2.png\" alt=\"Bubble chart 2\" width=\"459\" height=\"355\" srcset=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Bubble-chart-2.png 459w, \/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Bubble-chart-2-150x116.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 459px) 100vw, 459px\" \/>\r\n\r\nThe grid lines, in this case, divide the graph into sections and help users to focus on a specific section for analysis.\r\n\r\nWe recommend reading Stephen Few\u2019s article on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.perceptualedge.com\/articles\/dmreview\/grid_lines.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Grid Lines in Graphs are Rarely Useful<\/a> to discover other scenarios where grid lines are helpful.\r\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_Use_Grid_Lines_Effectively\"><\/span><b>How to Use Grid Lines Effectively<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\r\nGrid lines can help in interpreting data in certain scenarios. So here are three tips to make them more effective:\r\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Keep_Them_Subtle\"><\/span><b>Keep Them Subtle<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\r\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13459\" src=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/subtle-grid-lines-1.png\" alt=\"subtle grid lines 1\" width=\"508\" height=\"407\" srcset=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/subtle-grid-lines-1.png 508w, \/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/subtle-grid-lines-1-150x120.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 508px) 100vw, 508px\" \/>\r\n\r\nVisually heavy grid lines distract the user from the actual data.\r\n\r\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13460\" src=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/subtle-grid-lines-2.png\" alt=\"subtle grid lines 2\" width=\"510\" height=\"408\" srcset=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/subtle-grid-lines-2.png 510w, \/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/subtle-grid-lines-2-150x120.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 510px) 100vw, 510px\" \/>\r\n\r\nIf you are using grid lines in your chart, make sure they are subtle and do not hinder the interpretation of data.\r\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"When_Adding_Trendlines_with_Grid_Lines\"><\/span><b>When Adding Trendlines with Grid Lines<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\r\nA <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/explore\/trendlines\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">trendline<\/a> is used to add context to a chart, by helping the user interpret data in relation to some predetermined value. It provides a reference point to compare the measure against a set benchmark.\r\n\r\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13461\" src=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/trendline.png\" alt=\"trendline\" width=\"617\" height=\"313\" srcset=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/trendline.png 617w, \/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/trendline-150x76.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 617px) 100vw, 617px\" \/>\r\n\r\nIn the above chart, the Target line is a trendline. When adding a trendline along with grid lines, ensure that the trendline is of a different color. Doing so will make it visually stand out from the other grid lines.\r\n\r\n[Related read: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/dev\/chart-guide\/chart-configurations\/trend-lines-and-zones\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">How to add trendlines in FusionCharts Suite XT?<\/a>]\r\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"When_Adding_Regression_Lines_with_Grid_Lines\"><\/span><b>When Adding Regression Lines with Grid Lines<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\r\nAt times, you may be required to plot a regression line to derive a sense of the trend from a scatter plot.\r\n\r\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13458\" src=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/regression-line.png\" alt=\"regression line\" width=\"678\" height=\"351\" srcset=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/regression-line.png 678w, \/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/regression-line-150x78.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 678px) 100vw, 678px\" \/>\r\n\r\nSimilar to adding a trendline, ensure that the regression line is of a different color to that of the grid lines. Ideally, the regression line should match the color of the respective data plot. This will make it easier for the user to interpret the data.\r\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Ready_to_get_started_building_powerful_charts_featuring_grid_lines\"><\/span>Ready to get started building powerful charts featuring grid lines?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/download\">Download the latest version of FusionCharts today!<\/a>\r\n\r\n[Related read: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/dev\/chart-guide\/standard-charts\/bubble-and-xy-charts\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">How to add a regression line in a scatter chart using FusionCharts Suite XT?<\/a>]\r\n\r\n<em>Now over to you!\u00a0 Do you think grid lines are chart junk or visual aids? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.<\/em>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Grid lines are lines drawn in the chart plot area to &#8216;assist in the visual alignment of data.&#8217; These charts can have vertical grid lines, horizontal grid lines, or both. Fig. 1: Column chart with horizontal grid lines Fig. 2: Bar chart with vertical grid lines Fig. 3: Bubble chart with horizontal and vertical grid [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[105,523,524,525,363],"coauthors":[674],"class_list":["post-13449","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-charting-guidelines","tag-data-visualization","tag-grid-lines","tag-gridlines","tag-regression-line","tag-trendline"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Grid Lines: Chart Junk or Visual Aids? 2026 Analysis<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Grid lines: chart junk or visual aids? 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