What it shows
A column chart draws each period's value as a vertical column rising from a zero or base line, similar to a histogram. For price it typically plots the close per period, colored by whether the value rose or fell versus the previous period. It is most natural for quantities like volume, delta or oscillator output, but can display price itself.
How it's built
For each fixed time interval one value (usually the close) is drawn as a filled column from the base of the scale up to that value. Columns are uniformly spaced in time and colored by comparison to the prior value.
Switch to it
Open the chart-type menu in the header (next to the interval buttons) and pick Columns — or pin it as a favourite for one-click switching.
When to use it
- Displaying magnitude-style data such as volume or net change where bars from a baseline read naturally
- Simple up/down period comparisons for reports and dashboards
- Situations where you want each period to be a discrete visual unit rather than a continuous line
Settings reference
Open Chart Settings (gear, or double-click the chart background) with this type active. Every setting, its possible values and what it changes:
| Setting | Control | Possible values | Default | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price source | select | Close, Open, High, Low, (H + L)/2, (H + L + C)/3, (O + H + L + C)/4 | Close | Which price of each bar sets the column's height. The averaged options plot a smoother midpoint value. |
| Baseline position | select | Bottom, Middle, Top | Bottom | The anchor the columns grow from: Bottom grows columns up from the pane floor, Top hangs them from the ceiling, and Middle extends them from the pane's vertical center. |
| Color bars based on previous close | checkbox | on/off | on | Colors each column by comparing its price to the previous bar's close. Unchecked, coloring compares each bar's close to its own open. |
| Colors | two-colors | any color (up / down) | up #089981, down #F23645 | Sets the up and down column colors. Rising bars are painted the first color, falling bars the second. |
| Precision | select | Default, 0 (1), 1 (1.1), 2 (1.01), 3 (1.001), 4 (1.0001), 5 (1.00001), 6 (1.000001), 7 (1.0000001), 8 (1.00000001) | Default | Number of decimal places shown on the price scale and price readouts. Default derives the precision from the symbol's own price scale. |
Watch out for
- Columns anchored at a baseline exaggerate absolute levels and hide intraperiod range, so they are a poor choice for detailed price action work