Before you begin: Styling data widgets in TapClicks helps you create visually engaging dashboards and reports. These new styling options enhance your ability to present data clearly and effectively, improving the user experience for your customers.
This guide explains how to style widgets in both Dashboards and Report Studio. While the interfaces are slightly different, the process for styling widgets remains the same.
Access Widget Styling
1] In your Dashboard or Report Studio Report, find the widget you want to style.
2] Click the More Options icon (i.e. three dots), in the upper right corner of the widget.
3] From the dropdown menu, select Edit.
4] In the Edit menu, click the STYLES tab to access available styling options.
General Styling Options
TapClicks provides a variety of styling options to personalize the widget's appearance and functionality. These options help you create visually appealing and easy-to-read reports that align with your specific preferences and reporting goals. Below is a detailed list of the general styling options, including descriptions of what each option does:
Look & Feel Options (apply to all data widgets)
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Show widget shadow?
- Adds a shadow effect around the widget, giving it a layered and modern appearance.
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Show widget background?
- Toggles the background color or design of the widget for added customization.
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Show widget borders?
- Displays or hides borders around the widget, allowing for clear separation.
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Show widget title?
- Toggles the visibility of the widget title to include or exclude descriptive text.
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Show data source icon?
- Enables or disables the display of the data source icon for quick identification.
Styling Options (apply to most or some data widgets)
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Plot Type
- Defines the specific style of the chart or graph within the widget. For example:
If the widget type is a pie chart, the available plot types are Pie or Donut.
For bar charts, plot types include variations such as Clustered or Stacked bars.
- Defines the specific style of the chart or graph within the widget. For example:
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Font Size
- Adjusts text size within the widget to emphasize key metrics or improve overall readability.
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Show empty dates?
- Includes or excludes dates with no data in the visualizations.
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Chart Font Color
- Sets the color of the text within charts, allowing for better contrast and visibility.
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Show legend?
- Toggles the display of the legend to provide context about chart elements.
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Rotated?
- Rotates the chart’s orientation 90° for an alternative layout or perspective.
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Value scroller?
- Adds a scrolling feature for large datasets, making navigation easier.
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Normalize data?
- Scales values to a common range for consistent comparisons.
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Move y-axis?
- Adjusts the position of the y-axis for improved visualization.
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Zero scale data?
- Sets the y-axis to start at zero, ensuring a consistent baseline across visualizations.
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Logarithmic scale data?
- Displays the data on a logarithmic scale, ideal for datasets with wide value ranges.
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Show labels?
- Displays labels for data points, enhancing clarity within the chart.
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Enable tooltips?
- Activates tooltips that appear on hover, providing additional insights for data points.
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Hide grid lines?
- Removes grid lines from the chart for a cleaner look.
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Show metric labels?
- Toggles the display of numerical metric values within the chart.
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Date Format
- Customizes how dates are displayed, such as MM/DD/YYYY or YYYY-MM-DD.
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Color Gradient
- Applies gradient coloring to represent data intensity or ranges visually.
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Show label names?
- Toggles the visibility of label names in charts for added context.
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Show label values?
- Displays numerical values associated with data labels.
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Show label percent?
- Shows percentage values for data labels in applicable chart types, such as pie or funnel charts.
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Smooth lines?
- Renders charts with a smooth, curved appearance for a polished look.
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Grain density
- Adjusts the data granularity, allowing for a more detailed or aggregated view of trends.
Big Number Widget Styling Options
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Compact number?
- Displays numbers in a shortened format (e.g., 1K instead of 1,000).
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Display in center?
- Centers the number within the widget for improved visual balance.
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Wrap Metric Name?
- Ensures the metric name fits within the widget by wrapping text to a new line.
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Wrap Number?
- Allows numbers to wrap onto a new line if they are too long to fit.
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Use Spacing?
- Adds spacing around the widget to improve clarity.
Tips for Effective Styling
Use branded colors and gradients to align Big Number widgets with your visual identity. Apply color banding and heat maps to highlight key trends or outliers. Leverage comparison and sparkline plot types to present data trends effectively.
Data Grid/Table Widget Styling Options
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Collapse overflowing columns?
- Reduces column size to fit all content within the widget.
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Full size images?
- Displays images in their full size within grid cells.
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Display preview as iframe?
- Renders content previews within an iframe for better visualization.
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Delay for iframe capture
- Sets a delay time to allow iframe previews to load correctly.
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Flip rows to columns?
- Swaps rows and columns for an alternative grid layout.
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Paginate records?
- Divides records into multiple pages for easier navigation.
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Number of records to display?
- Limits the number of records shown in the grid.
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Number of records to display in reports?
- Specifies the number of records included in exported reports.
Tips for Effective Styling
Organize large datasets by enabling pagination to collapse overflowing columns for a cleaner layout. Flip rows and columns to better fit the structure of your data and enhance readability. Use full-size images within the grid to add visual clarity and emphasize important content.
Bar Chart Styling Options
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Rounded corners
- Adds rounded edges to bars for a polished appearance.
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Curved Columns
- Displays bars with curved edges for a softer look.
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Shadows
- Applies shadow effects to bars for a three-dimensional appearance.
Tips for Effective Styling
Add rounded corners and shadows to give bar charts a polished, modern appearance. Highlight patterns and trends in your data with trendlines, which provide a clear visual guide. For a unique style, use curved columns to create a softer and more dynamic look.
Line Chart Styling Options
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Line Type
- Selects the line style, such as solid or dashed, for the chart.
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Trendline
- Adds a trendline to highlight overall patterns and trends in the data, making it easier for viewers to identify key insights.
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Default Bullets Shape
- Customizes the shape of bullets marking data points.
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Shadows
- Adds shadow effects to the line for depth.
Tips for Effective Styling
Dashed lines are a great way to differentiate secondary data series without distracting from the main trends. Use trendlines to highlight key patterns and make your chart easier to interpret at a glance. For added emphasis, customize bullet shapes and apply shadows to enhance the chart’s overall look.
Combo Chart Styling Options
Combo charts combine bar and line chart elements into a single visualization, enabling you to represent multiple data series with different chart types. They inherit styling options from both bar and line charts, allowing you to customize each element for a cohesive and versatile display.
Tips for Effective Styling
Choose complementary colors for bars and lines to make the data series distinct and visually appealing. Use trendlines to highlight critical trends in the line component, helping viewers focus on key insights. Ensure consistent styling across the chart to maintain clarity and improve overall comprehension.
Benchmark Styling Options
Benchmarks are available in Bar, Line, and Combo charts, allowing you to compare your data against industry standards or goals. These charts include specific styling options to customize benchmarks, ensuring they are differentiated and provide actionable insights.
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Benchmark Line Style
- Customizes the style of the benchmark line, such as solid or dashed.
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Show Benchmark Bullets
- Displays bullets to mark key points along the benchmark line.
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Benchmark Line Type
- Sets the appearance of the benchmark line.
Tips for Effective Styling
Apply unique line styles and bullets to differentiate benchmark lines from other data in the chart. Use benchmark line-type options to match your chart’s overall design while maintaining visibility. Align benchmarks carefully within the chart to provide clear and actionable comparisons
Pie Chart Styling Options
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Background Gradient
- Applies gradient coloring to the chart background.
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Align labels
- Adjusts the alignment of labels for clarity.
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Enable Semi Circle
- Displays the chart as a semi-circle rather than a full circle.
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Show Label Ticks
- Adds connecting lines between labels and their corresponding segments.
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Show percent (%) distribution?
- Displays percentage values for each segment.
Tips for Effective Styling
Use semi-circle mode to give pie charts a modern and visually striking appearance while saving space. Highlight proportions by enabling percent distribution and aligning labels for optimal readability. Add background gradients for a polished look that draws attention to key segments.
Funnel Chart Styling Options
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Neck height
- Adjusts the height of the funnel’s neck for a custom visual effect.
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Neck width
- Changes the width of the funnel’s neck for variation.
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Rotation
- Rotates the funnel for a different orientation.
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Apply border
- Adds borders around funnel segments for clearer separation.
Tips for Effective Styling
Adjust neck height and width to create a visually balanced funnel that fits within your layout. Use rotation options to give your funnel a unique perspective and better fit specific visual contexts. Apply borders around each stage to separate segments and improve clarity.
Gauge Chart Styling Options
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Hand Type
- Selects the style of the gauge hand for precise visualization.
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Gauge Thickness
- Adjusts the width of the gauge’s visual arc.
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Degrees
- Defines the angle of the gauge display.
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Show shadows of shapes
- Applies shadow effects to gauge shapes.
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Big Number Position
- Adjusts the placement of the key metric displayed within the gauge, ensuring it remains prominent and easy to interpret.
Tips for Effective Styling
Adjust gauge thickness to create a balanced, readable design without overpowering other elements. Position big numbers prominently within the gauge to ensure key metrics are immediately visible. Add shadows for a professional, three-dimensional appearance that enhances visual appeal.
Bubble Chart Styling Options
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Bubble Shape
- Defines the shape of bubbles, such as a circle or square.
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Shape Opacity
- Adjusts the transparency of the bubbles for visual layering.
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Shape Size
- Customizes the size of bubbles based on data values.
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Enable Variable Radius
- Dynamically changes bubble size based on data metrics.
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Show values on shapes?
- Displays data values inside the bubbles.
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Show shadow?
- Adds shadows to the bubbles for a three-dimensional effect.
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Maximum Bubbles
- Controls the maximum number of bubbles shown in the chart, helping to avoid clutter and improve readability in dense datasets.
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Show grainy pattern
- Applies a textured pattern to the bubbles for added visual interest.
Tips for Effective Styling
Utilize variable radius to represent data dimensions effectively and make key points stand out. Adjust shape opacity for layering to create depth and clarity when bubbles overlap. Limit the maximum number of bubbles displayed to avoid clutter and ensure your chart remains easy to interpret.