Chart element variations

Various technologies and techniques are disclosed that enhance the creation of charts. The number of steps it takes to fine-tune a chart can be reduced by providing various element variation layouts that the user can select, such as with a single selection on a toolbar. When the user selects a chart element layout for a given chart, the system performs one or more steps to format the chart with the selected elements. For example, the system removes elements that are not shown in the selected variation but that are currently on the chart. The system adds elements shown in the selected variation that are not currently on the chart. The system selectively leaves elements shown in the variation that are already on the chart unchanged. The system adjusts the location of elements to look like the selected variation.