Turn OHLC data into a financial bar chart.

Create and interpret an OHLC bar chart

An OHLC bar compresses four prices into one narrow mark. Its vertical stem runs from the period low to the period high, a short tick extending left identifies the opening price, and a tick extending right identifies the closing price. This format keeps long market series visually lean while retaining the complete price range for each period.

Structure the source data

Prepare one ordered row per interval with a date or label plus separate open, high, low, and close columns. Volume is optional. The importer accepts CSV, TSV, TXT, JSON, XLSX, and XLS files, detects common headers and date formats, and lets you map every source column before changing the graph.

The validator rejects non-finite prices and impossible ranges. High must meet or exceed both open and close, low must not exceed either, and low cannot be greater than high. When a manual date format does not match the source, the preview identifies the problem before the selected rows can be applied.

Read the open and close ticks

Start at the central high-low stem. The tick on its left is the open; the tick on its right is the close. A rising bar closes at or above its opening value, while a falling bar closes below it. The distance between those two tick levels shows the period's net movement without using a filled candle body.

Choose OHLC bars instead of candles

OHLC bars are useful when many periods must fit into limited horizontal space or when filled candle bodies feel too visually dominant. Candlesticks can make open-to-close movement faster to scan, while OHLC bars give more visual emphasis to the full traded range. Both forms represent the same four prices.

Navigate dense market history

Zoom to inspect individual sessions or zoom out to summarize a long file with OHLC-aware aggregation. Each summary bar preserves the first open, highest high, lowest low, final close, and combined volume for its bucket. Drag the graph with the mouse or use the arrow controls to move through the active window.

Use color, tick width, and volume

Rising and falling colors distinguish direction, while the stem color keeps the high-low range visible. Tick width controls how far the open and close marks extend without altering the time spacing. Optional volume bars share the same directional colors and can be hidden when volume is unavailable or not comparable.

Keep interpretation grounded

An OHLC bar records a price interval; it does not explain the cause of a move or forecast the next one. Confirm the instrument, timezone, session boundaries, adjustment rules, and missing-period policy before comparing files. Intraday and daily data may require different label density and context.

Export the current view

Download PNG or SVG output using preset or custom dimensions, adjustable render scale, and an optional transparent background. The export uses the visible zoom window and the current title, axes, colors, grid, legend, and volume settings.

Practical example: compare range and close direction

For each interval, the vertical stem displays the full high-low range, the left tick marks the open, and the right tick marks the close. A bar with a wide range but nearby open and close records substantial movement during the interval even though the net change was small. A sequence of bars provides compact history without filling each open-close body.

Check interval and session definitions

Daily, hourly, and minute bars summarize different market activity. Confirm the timezone, regular or extended session, holiday calendar, and rule used to aggregate source trades. Comparing instruments or vendors without aligning those definitions can create apparent gaps, differences in volume, or mismatched highs and lows.

OHLC bars versus candlesticks

An OHLC candlestick chart uses a filled body to make open-to-close direction more prominent. Traditional bars devote more attention to the total range and can remain readable in a dense series. Neither format predicts future prices; choose based on reader familiarity and the detail the report needs.