Charts / Glossary
Baseline
A chart word, with the charts that use it.
Definition
The baseline is the zero or reference line that bars grow from. Bar length is read from it, so a bar chart whose baseline is not zero makes small differences look large.
Updated Nov 2, 2026
- 01Bar lengthRead from the baseline up, so the value is the whole bar.
- 02The baselineEvery bar starts here, at zero.
Where you see it
001 · BarsCompare items · Fintech data
004 · Diverging barsCompare items · Fintech data
042 · WaterfallFlow between steps · Fintech data
Common mistakes
A bar baseline above zero
Bars that start at 50 make 60 look twice as big as 55. Start bars at zero; use dots or a line when zero is far away.
No zero line on diverging bars
Gains and losses blur together. Draw the zero line stronger than the grid.
Waterfall totals that float
Totals stand on the baseline; only the steps between them float.
Questions
Does a bar chart need a zero baseline?
Yes. Bar length carries the value, so bars start at zero. Lines and dots can start elsewhere: they are read by position.
Where is the baseline in a diverging bar chart?
In the middle. Bars run left or right from zero, so the zero line is drawn stronger than the grid.
Every chart word, A to Z.
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