Chart Settings Deep Dive
Symbol customization, status line, scales, canvas, and visual configuration.
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TradingView's Chart Settings dialog provides granular, pixel-perfect control over every visual and functional element of your workspace. By right-clicking anywhere on the chart and selecting 'Settings' (or clicking the gear icon), you open the command center for customization.
Understanding these settings is the difference between a cluttered, confusing display and a streamlined, professional trading environment. In this guide, we break down the five core configuration tabs and explain exactly how institutional traders optimize them.
1. The 5 Configuration Pillars
The settings dialog is split into five logical tabs. Mastering what lives inside each tab ensures you never waste time hunting for a specific toggle.
Symbol
- Candlestick colors (body, border, wick)
- Pre/post-market data toggle
- Last price line visibility
Status Line
- OHLC (Open/High/Low/Close) text
- Indicator titles & values
- Background opacity for text
Scales
- Linear vs. Logarithmic scaling
- Percentage mode
- Countdown to bar close
Canvas
- Background colors & gradients
- Grid line opacity
- Chart watermarks
Timezone/Sessions
- Local vs Exchange timezone
- Session breaks (vertical lines)
- Extended hours shading
Change interval
15 minutes
| Features | TradingView | Traditional Brokers |
|---|---|---|
| Pre/Post Market | Distinct shaded zones | Often blended or hidden |
| Timezone Control | Exchange or Local time | Fixed to local time |
| Log Scale Support | 1-click toggle on Y-axis | Hidden in deep menus |
A cluttered chart creates a cluttered mind. Reduce noise, simplify your settings, and let the price action speak - that is the mark of a professional.
2. Symbol Settings: Coloring Price Action
The Symbol tab dictates how actual market data is rendered on your screen. While most users only change candle colors (e.g., changing standard Red/Green to high-contrast Neon Pink/Cyan for dark mode), there are powerful analytical toggles hidden here.
For equities traders, toggling 'Extended Hours' (Pre/Post-market) is critical. Price often gaps up or down overnight. Enabling extended hours fills in this gap with shaded price action, revealing where institutional block trades occurred before the retail market opened.
Snapshot & Takeaways
3. Status Line: The Data HUD
The Status Line acts as a Heads-Up Display (HUD) in the top-left corner of your chart. It displays the active ticker, the OHLC values of the candle you are currently hovering over, and the live readings of your active indicators.
A common mistake beginners make is leaving every single toggle enabled, resulting in a massive block of text that obscures actual price action.
Professional Tip
Professional Workflow: Open the Status Line settings and uncheck 'Indicator Values' and 'Indicator Arguments'. This hides the complex mathematical inputs of your indicators from the screen, keeping your chart clean while still rendering the visual lines.
4. Scales: Linear vs. Logarithmic
The Scales tab controls the mathematics of your Y-axis (price). This is arguably the most misunderstood setting in technical analysis.
A Linear (Regular) scale assigns equal vertical distance to equal absolute price changes (e.g., a ₹10 move from ₹10 to ₹20 looks exactly the same size as a ₹10 move from ₹1000 to ₹1010).
A Logarithmic scale assigns equal vertical distance to equal PERCENTAGE changes. A 100% move from ₹10 to ₹20 will look exactly the same size as a 100% move from ₹1000 to ₹2000.
When to use Linear Scale
- Intraday day trading (1m, 5m, 15m).
- Assets trading in tight, sideways ranges.
- Short-term swing trades.
When to use Log Scale
- Macro analysis (Daily, Weekly, Monthly).
- Assets that have grown exponentially (e.g., Bitcoin, Nifty since 2008).
- Drawing multi-year trendlines.
Critical Warning
Drawing a 5-year trendline on a Linear scale is mathematically flawed. Exponential growth curves will inevitably break linear trendlines, tricking you into a false bearish bias. Always switch to Log scale for macro trendlines by clicking the 'log' button in the bottom-right corner.
5. Canvas & Indian Timezones
The Canvas tab controls the aesthetics of the chart background. A hallmark of professional charting is turning down the opacity of the vertical and horizontal Grid Lines so they are barely visible, preventing them from interfering with your drawn support/resistance zones.
Finally, the Timezone/Sessions tab is critical for structural accuracy. A misaligned timezone means your daily candles will close at the wrong time, completely invalidating your indicator readings.
Change interval
15 minutes
Snapshot & Takeaways
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Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this topic
Right-click anywhere on the chart, select 'Settings', and navigate to the 'Symbol' tab. Here you can customize the color of the candle bodies, borders, and wicks independently for bullish (up) and bearish (down) candles. Navigate to the 'Canvas' tab to change the background color.
Official TradingView Resources
Curated links from TradingView's Help Center & Blog
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Written By
Rohit Singh
Mr. Chartist
With 14+ years of experience in Indian financial markets, Rohit Singh (Mr. Chartist) is a SEBI Registered Research Analyst, Amazon #1 bestselling author, and the founder of Investology — a premium trading ecosystem trusted by a 1.5 Lakh+ strong community across India.
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