Time Series
Candlestick / OHLC
Shows open, high, low, close for financial data. Each candle is one time period.
Stock Price OHLC
Daily trading data
View data (8 rows)
| Date | Open | High | Low | Close |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 3 | 150 | 158 | 148 | 155 |
| Mar 4 | 155 | 162 | 153 | 160 |
| Mar 5 | 160 | 165 | 155 | 157 |
| Mar 6 | 157 | 163 | 150 | 152 |
| Mar 7 | 152 | 160 | 149 | 158 |
| Mar 10 | 158 | 168 | 156 | 165 |
| Mar 11 | 165 | 170 | 160 | 162 |
| Mar 12 | 162 | 172 | 161 | 170 |
Use a candlestick / ohlc when…
- Stock/crypto price analysis
- Financial trading data
- Showing price range and direction
Avoid when…
- Non-financial data
- General audiences unfamiliar with the form
Data it needs
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Min Rows | 5 |
| Min Columns | 5 |
| Column Types | datenumbernumbernumbernumber |
Visual anatomy
Marks
rectangleline
Channels
position-y (OHLC)color (up/down)
Axes
x-timey-price
Guiding principles
- DesignChart-Question Fit
Answers 'when did the price change?'
- IntegrityShow Data Variation, Not Design Variation
Keep the timeframe consistent — every candle is the same period (1d, 1h, 5m); mixing periods on one chart breaks the visual contract
- ContextAbove All Else, Show the Data
Read body vs wick separately: body width (open to close) is direction and net move; wicks (high/low) show range explored within the period
Consider instead
Common mistakes
Not color-coding up vs down candles
Missing wicks (high/low lines)
History
Originated in 18th-century Japanese rice trading; introduced to the West by Steve Nison (1991).
Accessibility notes
Describe overall trend direction. Provide OHLC values as text.
Related reading
Got data? Let's see what works.
Drop your CSV. You'll get a Candlestick / OHLC plus four alternatives - ranked by which one actually fits your data best.