#### Formatting the platform

The platform of a chart is the container of the other chart elements, such as the paper, legend, and labels.

To format the platform of a chart:

1. Right-click any chart element, and select Format Platform from the shortcut menu to show the Format Platform dialog.
2. In the Fill tab, set the fill and transparency settings of the platform as required.

   Click the color image button and select a color swatch to fill the platform (you can also directly type the hexadecimal value of the desired color in the text box). If the color swatches cannot meet your requirement, click More Colors to open the Pick a color dialog, with which you can set a full range of color. If required, click More Fill Effects to specify a gradient, a texture or an image as the fill effect in the Fill Effects dialog.

3. In the Border tab, set the border mode, including the border style, color, transparency, line style, thickness, end caps style, and line joint mode. You can also specify whether the border is to be outlined, and whether or not to automatically resize the border dashes if the border is drawn with dashes.
4. When done, click OK to apply the settings and close the dialog.

See also Format Platform dialog for detailed explanation about options in the dialog.