Treat bar baselines as part of the data

Bar baseline rule: if the bar represents a quantity, the baseline is part of the mark. A bar chart works because people compare lengths quickly. That speed is useful only when the length encodes the full value. If the axis starts near the values, the visible length becomes a magnified slice of the value. A small difference can appear dramatic. When A Nonzero Axis Can Be Defensible A nonzero axis can be appropriate when the chart form does not encode total magnitude through filled length, or when the purpose is to inspect variation in a narrow range. Even then, the…

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