Part 1: Using SharpCharts to Create Great‑Looking Financial Charts

Part 1: Using SharpCharts to Create Great‑Looking Financial Charts

To Start, Let's Create a SharpChart

Our premier technical analysis tool is called “SharpCharts”. If you've seen a bar or candlestick chart on our site, then you've seen SharpCharts in action. To create a SharpChart, all you need is a working web browser. The charts themselves are browser-friendly images and can be viewed on any web-enabled device.

To quickly create a new SharpChart, simply follow these steps:

  1. Find the white input box near the top of any of our web pages - it should be next to the “SharpChart” dropdown button
  2. Click anywhere inside that input box
  3. Type in a ticker symbol (such as “SPY”)
  4. Click “Go” or press the Enter key

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The Components of a Chart

So what exactly is a SharpChart? Well, the chart itself is composed of the following four components:

Headers and Legends

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The Header and Legends Area displays the chart's primary ticker symbol, the time of the most recent data on the chart, and the daily price quote for the primary ticker symbol at that time.

Price Plot Area

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There is always one (and only one) Price Plot area on each chart. It contains the price line or bars for the primary ticker symbol (the symbol displayed in the upper left corner of the chart).

Technical Overlays

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Technical Overlays are the lines that sit on top of the primary ticker symbol's price bars. Moving averages are a common example of a technical overlay. As a StockCharts Member, you can add up to 25 different overlays to your chart.

Technical Indicator Panels

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Technical Indicator Panels are additional rectangular spaces that can be positioned above, below, or even behind the Price Plot area. Just like with technical overlays, StockCharts members can add up to 25 different indicator panels to a chart. The very popular MACD indicator is an example of a technical indicator.

Using the SharpCharts Workbench

Once you've created a SharpChart, you'll notice some gray panels both above and below the chart. These are the components of what we call the SharpCharts Workbench - i.e., the page with all of the chart settings. You can use the controls in these panels to customize your chart in any way you'd like. You can also choose the technical overlays and indicators that you want to add to your chart.

The default settings for all overlays and indicators are based on the most common parameters, but you can always modify the settings to your liking. When you're finished making changes or adding new features to your chart, simply hit the “Update” button to see the results!

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There's much more to learn than we can cover here, so for more in‑depth details on creating SharpCharts, we strongly encourage you to check out our instructional videos. They will help you better understand how to use the workbench and customize your charts to fit your specific needs. Click here to watch now!

Next Up » Part 2: Customizing Your New StockCharts.com Account