Trellis Columns and Trellis Rows

Trellis Columns and Trellis Rows allow you to break a single visualization into multiple smaller charts based on a secondary grouping. Instead of filtering the chart to show one group at a time, trellis layouts display several charts simultaneously—either side by side or stacked vertically—making it easier to compare patterns across categories.

This technique is especially useful when you want to analyze how the same measure behaves across different groups while keeping scales, axes, and visual structure consistent.

Trellis Columns

Trellis Columns arrange charts side by side, with each column representing a distinct value from the trellis grouping.

To build a chart that displays data side by side, bind a field to the Trellis Columns slot in the Data Binding tab.

For example, this chart has:

• Sales bound to the Values data binding slot

• Category bound to the Axis (Category) data binding slot

• Year bound to the Trellis Columns data binding slot

In this configuration, a separate chart is rendered for each year, allowing you to compare categories across years at a glance.

Trellis Rows

Trellis Rows arrange charts row by row, with each row representing a distinct value from the trellis grouping.

To build a chart that displays data vertically, bind a field to the Trellis Rows slot in the Data Binding tab.

For example, this chart has:

• Sales are bound to the Values data binding slot

• Category bound to the Axis (Category) data binding slot

• Year bound to the Trellis Rows data binding slot

This configuration produces a separate chart for each year, stacked vertically, which is useful when horizontal space is limited or when reading trends from top to bottom.

Trellis Properties

Once a trellis layout is applied, you can further customize its appearance and spacing using the Trellis properties available in the Inspector Panel.

Trellis Padding

The Trellis Padding settings control the spacing between individual charts and the borders of the trellis layout.

Increasing padding adds more space around each chart, which is particularly helpful when axis labels or titles are long. For example, in a column chart with lengthy category names, increasing the left-side padding ensures that labels fit within the trellis boundaries.

In the example below, the left padding has been increased to 25 because the "Accessories" data label was too long to fit within the available space.

You can adjust padding independently on each side by clicking the four-arrow control.

Trellis Border Color

You can customize the appearance of trellis borders by adjusting the Trellis Border Color and its opacity using the color picker.

If you want to remove trellis borders entirely, set the border opacity to 0, as shown in the example below.

Trellis Font Settings

You can further customize the appearance of trellis labels shown within the layout by adjusting the following font-related properties:

• Font family

• Font size

• Font color

• Font weight

• Font style (italic or normal)

These settings help ensure that trellis labels remain readable and visually consistent with the rest of your report.