Tradovate Chart Settings: Complete Guide for New Traders
Most beginners butcher their charts. Too many indicators, gridlines, and colors that look like a kindergarten art project. This guide walks through the Tradovate chart settings that actually matter so your charts stay readable, fast, and useful.
Accessing Chart Settings
Right-click anywhere on the chart → Chart Settings. Every tab inside this menu matters, but only a few options are worth touching. Everything else is noise.
Candle Settings
Under “Appearance,” you can control how candles are displayed. Use this setup:
- Up Candle: green
- Down Candle: red
- Wicks: thin and dark
- Body Border: enabled
- Opacity: 85–100%
No gradients. No neon. You’re trading, not designing a nightclub poster.
Scales & Price Display
Go to Scales. Set:
- Price Scale: Right only
- Ticks Per Level: Auto
- Expand Scale: Small
A stretched scale makes you think the market is more volatile than it is. Keep it compact and honest.
Session Settings
Under Sessions, enable:
- Show Session Breaks
- Use RTH/ETH Coloring (optional)
Session breaks help you frame market structure. If you don’t understand structure well enough, read your market structure basics article first.
Grid & Visual Noise Controls
Gridlines are fine in moderation. Use:
- Grid Style: Dotted
- Grid Color: Light gray
- Grid Opacity: Low
If your grid looks like graph paper, you overdid it.
Indicator Visibility & Cleanup
In the “Indicators” tab, disable visibility on timeframes you don’t use. Example:
- EMA visible on 1–5 min
- VWAP visible on all
- Volume visible everywhere
Don’t run 20 indicators. Keep it lightweight. Indicators should support price—not replace it.
Final Chart Setup Advice
A good Tradovate chart is clean, predictable, and readable at a glance. No bloat, no distractions. Your chart is a tool, not a mood board. Build it once, save your layout, and stick with it.