presentation theme color change

How to change theme colors in PowerPoint

Written by: Richard Goring
Categories: PowerPoint design , PowerPoint productivity
Comments: 13

PowerPoint color themes are key to make your presentation look consistent and professional. Using theme colors correctly also makes it easy to change colors and branding later. And understanding how they work means that you can avoid the annoying way that slides change and get messed up when you copy them from one deck to another. Keep scrolling to find out how you can create your own color theme in PowerPoint, and apply it across Office.

First up, what is a PowerPoint color theme? The color theme sets the colors you find in the PowerPoint color palette, under the fill color or text color options. The main colors are set by you, and then PowerPoint creates the various shades underneath each one.

Set PowerPoint theme colors

How do you change theme colors in PowerPoint? To choose your color theme, go to the Design tab on the ribbon, and under Variants, select Colors, which will show you a range of options built into PowerPoint.

If you don’t want any of the pre-set color themes, you can choose the Customize Colors option down at the bottom of the list, which brings up a pop-up box that allows you to alter any of the colors. Select any of the color scheme options, and then More Colors at the bottom, which allows you to choose anything from the color wheel, or input your own RGB values, which may be useful if you want to use your brand colors in your presentation.

Once you’ve chosen the colors you want, you can save the theme with any name you like. That saved theme can be applied to any other PowerPoint deck, but will also be accessible across all Office programs, so you can set the same color themes in Word, Excel, or Outlook.

In Word , go to the Design tab on the ribbon, then Colors, just to the right of centre.
In Excel , go to the Page Layout tab in the ribbon, and you’ll find Colors on the far left.
In Outlook , compose a new message, then go to the Options tab on the ribbon, with Colors also on the far left.

You’ve got to love the way the same thing is hidden in so many different places! Maybe they’re like horcruxes, or something?

If you’ve downloaded BrightCarbon’s very own free PowerPoint add-in BrightSlide it is even simpler to set theme colors. Head to the BrightSlide tab and under the File & Master section select Theme Colors. The Theme Color editor will appear allowing you to set colors based on HEX, RGB or HSL values or using a color picker. It also give you a live preview of the palette and allows you to import and edit spot colors.

There are three categories of color to select in your theme:

Accent colors: The six Accent colors are the ones that are most useful in the PowerPoint color scheme. These are the main colors you’ll use in your presentation, and all Charts and SmartArt will be created using these colors by default.

Text/Background colors: The four options here don’t have to be dark and light, as the name suggests, but it’s recommended, as PowerPoint will use these colors as the background color for charts, and the text color for labels, assuming that you’ve chosen dark and light colors. It’s changing these to colors that are too dark or too light that can cause problems with poor contrast ratios , so try to keep them light and dark colors as appropriate, which will help with your overall PowerPoint color scheme effectiveness and accessibility. You’ll also be able to access these four colors in the theme colors menus.

PowerPoint hyperlink color: If you want to choose a special PowerPoint hyperlink color, and a color for links that have been clicked, you can, but the colors won’t appear in the theme color menus anywhere, so don’t think you can sneak another two colors into the PowerPoint color palette for general use.

PowerPoint color picker

Selecting specific RGB spot colors can be tricky, but using a color picker really helps – either to ensure you’re perfectly matching your brand colors, or picking colors from an image, webpage, or document that you like. A color picker tool will provide the precise RGB value for any color you can find, which you can then input to create your new presentation color scheme. There’s the PowerPoint color picker – built into the program – available from Office 2013 and later, which you can find by selecting an object (anything works for this), then going to the Home tab on the ribbon, over to Shape Fill on the right-hand side, and then selecting the Eyedropper option half way down the menu. Irritatingly, this PowerPoint color picker only works to pick colors within the PowerPoint slide window, so if you have an object on the slide already (like a logo), or can paste an image into it, then it’s fine.

If not, there are plenty of great separate color picker tools that will allow you to pick up the RGB value of any color on your screen. There are loads of them, from incredibly feature-laden, to super simple pick a color, get an RGB code. Simple generally works for me, so things like Pixie and Color Cop are both good.

Theme vs standard vs spot colors

Now that you’ve set your theme colors, use them. Consistent use of the same family of colors makes your presentation look better and not too garish, which your audience and branding department will thank you for. It also means, as mentioned before, that if you change the theme colors, then all your content will change automatically to match. Not just on a single slide, but through your entire presentation. So if you change brand, or need to repurpose slides to fit a different theme, say for a conference, using the main theme colors, and all the various shades, will save you a lot of time.

If you copy and paste your slides into a different deck, with a different presentation color scheme, then your slides will also change to match the new PowerPoint color scheme, making everything consistent, with no additional effort. Incidentally, if you’ve ever copied slides into a new deck and wondered why everything has changed, this is why.

The standard colors are different to the PowerPoint theme colors, in that they’re fixed, and won’t change automatically when you apply a new theme or copy slides into a new deck. This can be advantageous. Say you want to use color to convey meaning – using red for negative and green for positive is a common combination. Here, you’d want to use the standard colors, rather than theme colors, as the colors won’t change, and your meaning won’t get lost if things alter in the future.

The same is true with spot colors. Sometimes you may want to add a specific color into the slide. This might reflect another brand in the deck for instance. In any of the color menus, you can choose More Fill or Outline Colors from the drop-down menu, which reveals the same color options pop-up as before, allowing you to choose anything from the color wheel, or a specific RGB value. Again, these spot colors won’t change if you alter your color theme, so just be aware of any overuse.

My colleague Amy put together some thoughts on how to use color to make presentations more effective , which is also worth considering.

Transparency, gradients, glows, and other effects

The presentation color scheme also applies to the many other formatting effects in PowerPoint. If you choose a theme color for a shape, and then make it semi-transparent, the shape will change color if you apply a new theme in the future. Likewise, if you add a gradient fill using only theme colors, then the gradient will change if the theme is altered. Other effects like glow and the shadow functions, or the change fill or font color emphasis animation effects also use the theme colors by default (although you can select spot colors).

In general, we recommend using the PowerPoint theme colors wherever possible to promote consistency in everything that you’re doing. But it’s worth noting how far the color theme reaches, so that if it changes, and something goes wrong with your slide, you can more easily identify why.

Try creating your own PowerPoint color scheme. And, while you’re at it, you can download a free PowerPoint toolkit from BrightCarbon, all of which is programmed using a rather nice color theme, which you can use, or alter, and watch as all the objects change color to suit your tastes.

Richard Goring

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Fantastic, tutorial. Brilliant again! 👌🏽

Thanks Mike! Much appreciated. Glad you liked it.

Thank you so much.

Thanks for sharing the information. I really appreciate it.

This is EXACTLY what I have been searching for, thanks Richard! I have been trying to get my SmartArt colour changed for hours now. Thank you

Really useful thank you. Is there a way to share defined themes – so that other people can import/use the same theme rather than everyone having to set it up themselves?

Hi Toby, yes you can, using either a Template or Theme file. In PowerPoint, do all the adjustments you want, then go to File > Save As, and then under the file name box, in the drop down menu (which by default says ‘PowerPoint Presentation (*.pptx)’, choose either ‘PowerPoint Template (*.potx)’ or ‘Office Theme (*.thmx)’. Both of these save all the colour/font settings you’ve made and can be opened as a blank presentation or applied to an existing presentation.

If you open the file as a new presentation, there are some differences: Office Theme – this will save all the colours/fonts/styles and slide masters/layouts. PowerPoint Template – this will save everything the Office Theme does, but also any custom slides you’ve made in the presentation. So it can be a good starting point for a deck if you always use the same core set of slides.

If you want to apply either to an existing document: In PowerPoint – Go to the Design tab > Themes > Drop down arrow > Browse for Themes In Word – Go to the Design tab > Themes > Browse for Themes In Excel – Go to the Page Layout tab > Themes > Browse for Themes

P.S. One day I’ll teach Joby all this. 😉

thank you Richard – that’s really helpful! i’ll use the office theme as that will (presumably) apply to Word, Excel and PPT…which is just what we need! Good luck with Joby though…i think that will be a lot harder to do than creating a bespoke colour palette. haha

I wish I understood this:

When I browse for Theme (to pick up the new Theme with new colors put out by the brand dept), it just imports the master pages from the Theme doc (and the colors), rather than making the new color palette available to the existing pages. But all the existing pages still have the old theme/masters applied. I hope I don’t have to re-apply masters to hundreds of pages! To avoid that, right now, it looks like I need to rebuild the colors in the existing masters, I can’t seem to get the new color palette into the old masters. 🙁 That’s all I want! I can’t seem to find exactly how to do this one arcane thing anywhere on the web! And who knows, maybe it’s because I’m on Mac. There are so many features in PPT that are not available on Mac.

Hi Richard, I’ve encountered something in PowerPoint I never have before, and I wondered if you ever saw it yourself … I program the colors to the brand appropriate rob/hex & when I go back into it I see the color values have been adjusted to a similar mix, but it’s not what I specified. Do you have any insight?

I LIKE MY FRIEND RICHARD!

?? Why so difficult ?? 1 click with one of the 28 free features of the free iSlide PowerPoint add- in! Just check it out here : https://islide-powerpoint.com/en/support/tips-ideas/15-minutes-en Actually, personally I think this tool should be mandatory for everyone! Or even better, bought and integrated by Microsoft itself!

This website was… how do I say it? Relevant!! Finally I’ve found something which helped me. Appreciate it!

Add color and design to your slides with Themes

PowerPoint provides a variety of design themes —including coordinated color schemes, backgrounds, font styles, and placement of placeholders.

Note: You may be looking to learn about using the Design Ideas button available for Microsoft 365 subscribers. See about working with PowerPoint Designer.

Your browser does not support video. Install Microsoft Silverlight, Adobe Flash Player, or Internet Explorer 9.

Pick a theme when you do File > New to start a new presentation.

These built-in themes are great for widescreen (16:9) and standard screen (4:3) presentations. To change the slide size, see Change the size of your slides .

If offered, choose a color variation, and then select Create .

If you change your mind, you can always change the theme or variant later on the Design tab.

On the Design tab, pick a theme with the colors, fonts, and effects that you like.

To apply a different color variation of a particular theme, in the Variants group, pick a variant.

Note: If you don't see any variants, it could be because you're using a custom theme, an older theme designed for earlier versions of PowerPoint, or because you imported some slides from another presentation with an older or custom theme.

Select right arrow in the Variants group to select different Colors , Fonts , Effects , or Background Styles and choose from built-in options or customize your own.

On the Design tab, in the Variants group, click the down arrow at the bottom right corner to expand the gallery and see the Fonts menu.

Create and save a custom theme

You can create a custom theme by modifying an existing theme or by starting from scratch with a blank presentation.

Select your first slide, and then on the Design tab, select the down arrow in the Variants group.

Select Colors , Fonts , Effects , or Background Styles and choose from built-in options or customize your own.

When you're done customizing styles, select the down arrow in the Themes group, and then select Save Current Theme .

Give your theme a name, and select Save . By default, it is save with your other PowerPoint themes and will be available in the Themes group under a Custom header.

Use or create themes in PowerPoint

Combining colors in PowerPoint: Mistakes to avoid .

Apply multiple themes to a presentation

Apply a template to your presentation

What is color theory?

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How to Change Presentation Theme Colors in PowerPoint

A computer screen with a powerpoint presentation open

PowerPoint is one of the most widely used presentation software tools in the world, and it offers users the ability to customize and tailor their presentations to their specific needs. One of the key ways to achieve this is by changing the theme colors in your presentation. In this article, we’ll explore the various steps involved in altering the theme colors in PowerPoint so that you can create a customized and professional-looking presentation that stands out.

Table of Contents

Understanding Presentation Themes and Colors in PowerPoint

Before we dive into the specifics of how to change theme colors in PowerPoint, it’s important to understand what presentation themes and colors actually are. Broadly speaking, a presentation theme is a pre-designed template that sets the overall look and feel of your presentation, including things like font, background, and color scheme.

Theme colors, on the other hand, refer specifically to the color palette that is used throughout your presentation. This can include the colors used for text, backgrounds, and other design elements, and it has a significant impact on the overall aesthetic of your presentation.

It’s worth noting that choosing the right theme and color scheme for your presentation can also have an impact on how your audience perceives your message. For example, using bright, bold colors might be appropriate for a presentation aimed at children, but could be overwhelming or distracting for a more professional audience.

Additionally, it’s important to consider accessibility when choosing your presentation colors. For example, using a light font color on a light background can make it difficult for people with visual impairments to read your slides. By choosing colors with enough contrast, you can ensure that your presentation is accessible to a wider audience.

Steps to Customize Your Presentation Theme Colors in PowerPoint

Customizing your presentation theme colors in PowerPoint is a straightforward process, but it can be broken down into several key steps. These steps include:

Accessing the theme colors in PowerPoint
Exploring the different color palettes in PowerPoint
Choosing the right color scheme for your presentation
Tips for creating a professional-looking presentation with custom colors
Saving your customized theme colors in PowerPoint

It is important to note that when choosing your custom color scheme, you should consider the audience and purpose of your presentation. For example, if you are presenting financial data, using a color scheme with shades of green may be appropriate to represent growth and profitability. On the other hand, if you are presenting on a sensitive topic, using bright and bold colors may not be appropriate and a more muted color scheme may be better suited.

Choosing the Right Color Scheme for Your Presentation

When selecting a color scheme for your presentation, consider the tone and purpose of your presentation. If you’re creating a presentation for a corporate client, for example, you may want to opt for more muted, professional colors like blues and grays. If your presentation is geared towards a younger audience or focuses on creative topics, you may want to consider brighter, more vibrant colors like oranges, purples, and greens.

It’s also important to consider the cultural implications of color when creating a presentation. For example, in Western cultures, white is often associated with purity and cleanliness, while in some Eastern cultures, it is associated with mourning and death. Similarly, red is often associated with passion and energy in Western cultures, but in some Asian cultures, it is associated with luck and prosperity. Be sure to research the cultural significance of colors in your target audience to ensure that your color choices are appropriate and effective.

How to Access the Theme Colors in PowerPoint

To change the theme colors in PowerPoint, you’ll first need to locate the “Themes” tab, which is located in the “Design” section of the PowerPoint ribbon. Once you’ve clicked on the “Themes” tab, you’ll see a variety of pre-designed themes to choose from. To access the theme colors, click on the “Colors” dropdown menu.

From the “Colors” dropdown menu, you can choose from a variety of color palettes, including the standard colors, as well as custom colors. If you want to create your own custom color palette, you can do so by selecting “Create New Theme Colors” at the bottom of the dropdown menu. This will allow you to choose specific colors for each element of your PowerPoint presentation, including the background, text, and accents.

Exploring the Different Color Palettes in PowerPoint

PowerPoint offers a variety of color palettes to choose from, ranging from warm and cool tones to monochromatic and complementary color schemes. To explore the different color palettes, simply click on each of the options in the “Colors” dropdown menu to see a preview of how they will look in your presentation.

When selecting a color palette for your presentation, it’s important to consider the message you want to convey. For example, warm tones like red and orange can evoke feelings of excitement and energy, while cool tones like blue and green can create a sense of calm and relaxation. Monochromatic color schemes, which use variations of a single color, can create a sophisticated and cohesive look, while complementary color schemes, which use colors opposite each other on the color wheel, can create a bold and eye-catching effect.

In addition to the pre-set color palettes, you can also create your own custom color scheme in PowerPoint. Simply click on the “Customize Colors” option in the “Colors” dropdown menu and select the colors you want to use. This can be a great option if you want to match your presentation to your company’s branding or if you have a specific color scheme in mind.

Tips for Creating a Professional-Looking Presentation with Custom Colors

When creating a presentation with custom colors, it’s important to keep a few key tips in mind. First, be sure to choose colors that work well together and create a visual hierarchy in your presentation. Use brighter colors sparingly, as they can be distracting if overused. Additionally, consider adding accent colors to your presentation to help key information stand out.

Another important tip is to consider the audience you will be presenting to. If your presentation is for a more conservative or traditional audience, it may be best to stick with more neutral colors such as black, white, and gray. However, if your audience is more creative or open-minded, you may have more flexibility to use bolder and brighter colors.

Finally, don’t forget to test your custom color scheme on different devices and screens to ensure that it looks consistent and professional. Colors can appear differently on different screens, so it’s important to make sure that your presentation looks great no matter where it’s being viewed.

How to Save Your Customized Theme Colors in PowerPoint

Once you’ve selected your desired color scheme, you can save your customized theme colors by clicking on the “Save Current Theme” option in the “Colors” dropdown menu. This will allow you to easily access your custom theme colors in the future and apply them to new presentations.

Troubleshooting Common Issues with Changing Theme Colors in PowerPoint

If you experience issues with changing theme colors in PowerPoint, there are a few potential solutions to consider. First, check to ensure that you are working on an up-to-date version of PowerPoint. Additionally, you may want to try resetting your default theme colors and trying again.

Using Color Psychology to Enhance the Impact of Your Presentation

Color psychology is the study of how colors impact human behavior and emotions, and it can be a powerful tool when it comes to designing effective presentations. Consider using colors that align with the message and tone of your presentation—for example, blues and greens are associated with calmness and relaxation, while reds and oranges can evoke excitement and passion.

How to Add Gradient Backgrounds and Textures to Your Slides

In addition to customizing your theme colors, you can also add gradient backgrounds and textures to your slides to enhance their visual appeal. To do this, click on the “Format Background” option in the “Design” tab, and select “Fill” from the dropdown menu. From there, you can choose from a variety of gradient and texture options.

Applying Theme Colors Across Multiple Slides and Presentations

If you want to apply your custom theme colors across multiple slides or even multiple presentations, you can do so by selecting the “Apply to All” option in the “Colors” dropdown menu. This will save you time and ensure consistency throughout your presentations.

Best Practices for Choosing Color Combinations That Work Well Together

When selecting color combinations for your presentation, it’s important to choose colors that complement each other and create a cohesive look and feel. Consider using color palettes that are already established, like the complementary colors wheel, or doing research on color theory to better understand which color combinations work well together.

How to Update Your Theme Colors Across All Slides with One Click

If you’ve already created a presentation and want to update the theme colors across all slides, you can do so with just one click. Simply navigate to the “Design” tab and select “Colors”, then choose the newly updated theme you want to apply to all slides.

Advanced Techniques for Customizing Theme Colors in PowerPoint

If you’re looking to take your theme color customization to the next level, there are a few advanced techniques you can try. For example, you can create your own custom color scheme by selecting individual colors from the “Customize Colors” option in the “Colors” dropdown menu. You can also use the “Eyedropper” tool to match colors from other sources, like logos or branding materials.

Adding Brand-Specific Colors to Your Presentation Themes

If you’re creating a presentation for a specific brand or company, you may want to incorporate their specific color scheme into your presentation theme. To do this, you can use the “Customize Colors” option to select colors that match the brand’s logo or other branding materials.

A Step-by-Step Guide to Changing Font and Background Colors in PowerPoint

While we’ve focused primarily on changing theme colors in this article, it’s also possible to change font and background colors in PowerPoint. To do this, simply select the text or background you want to change and use the “Font Color” or “Fill Color” options in the “Home” tab to select your desired color.

Using Color Contrast to Improve Accessibility of Your Presentation

When creating a presentation, it’s important to consider accessibility for all viewers, including those with visual impairments. To improve accessibility, use high-contrast color schemes and avoid using color as the sole means of conveying information. Also, consider using text alternatives or providing transcripts for any visual content.

By following the steps and tips outlined in this article, you can effectively customize your presentation theme colors in PowerPoint to create a professional and engaging presentation that meets your specific needs. Start by exploring the various color palettes and experiment with different color schemes until you find the perfect fit for your presentation. Remember, the right colors can make all the difference in creating a memorable and impactful presentation!

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PowerPoint Tutorials

How to Add or Change Themes in PowerPoint

Are you tired of using the same theme over and over again? Would you like to change the design? In this new Slidesgo School tutorial, you’ll learn how to add and change themes in PowerPoint .

Changing a Theme

Applying a new theme to selected slides only, importing a theme, editing the colors of the theme.

Open your presentation in PowerPoint.
On the Design tab, in the Themes group, select the theme that best fits your needs from the list. If you hover over any of them, you’ll see a preview. When you’re ready to continue, just click the theme. It will be applied to the entire presentation.

Please note that when you use a new theme in PowerPoint, since it is applied to all of the slides, the previous theme will be removed, unless it’s a PowerPoint default theme. In that case, you’ll find it on the list of default themes.

Go to the Design tab.
Select the slide whose theme you want to change. If you want to select several slides, just hold Ctrl/Cmd as you click them.
Choose the theme you want to apply, right-click and select Apply to Selected Slides. Please note that if you change the general theme of the presentation later on, these slides will be affected too.
On the Design tab, in the Themes group, click the drop-down arrow. Now click Browse for Themes. A new window will open, where you need to select the presentation that contains the theme you want to import.

Please note that the theme will be applied to all of the slides and any previous theme will be removed, unless it’s a default theme (in that case, you’ll find it on the list of default themes).

Depending on the theme, it could have color variations or different palette presets that you can choose to change the color of the elements in your presentation. Let’s see how we can edit the colors of a theme:

Go to the Design tab. If the theme contains color variations, you’ll see them in the Variants group.
If you want to change the color palette, click the Variants drop-down arrow, select Colors and choose any of the presets. If you want to apply a specific palette to the presentation, click Customize Colors. A new window will open, where you can select the colors that best suit your needs. You can see a little preview in the top-right corner of this window.
To change the color of the background, click the Variants drop-down arrow and click Background Styles. You can choose any of the presets or click Format Background, where you’ll be able to use solid colors, gradients, images or patterns as background. If you choose to do it via Format Background, its panel will appear on the right side of the screen. To apply a custom background, click Apply to All. If you change the background using the Format Background options, all your background pictures will be removed.
In the Variants group you’ll see other two options which allow you to modify the font of the presentation or the effects applied to the resources. Both of these options contain presets and, if you’re using the latest version of PowerPoint, you’ll see an additional option to customize the fonts or the styles.

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How to print PowerPoint notes

Crafting an impactful PowerPoint slideshow and delivering a captivating presentation are distinct skills. The first focuses on designing appealing visuals to convey a clear message, while the second involves employing effective presentation techniques to ensure the audience grasps the idea. The content of this article will help you with the latter part of this process, guiding future presenters on how to print PowerPoint with speaker notes to enhance your presentations success and effectiveness.

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How to change Theme Colors in PowerPoint Tutorial

Welcome to PresenterMedia's PowerPoint Tutorials section . We will be taking a look at some of the behind the scenes functionality of PowerPoint. Above all, the main focus of this tutorial is to show in-depth instructions on how to edit the individual colors of the PowerPoint theme colors . The colors in our templates are all set to theme colors and are easily editable.

In the tutorial video below we will discuss where to go to edit the theme colors for PowerPoint. Most importantly, we will look at how the accent colors work and how to change them. Also, Below I will also talk about who to create colors for making your own color pallets. Follow along now as we dive into this tutorial about PowerPoint theme colors.

Useful things your will learn in this PowerPoint video tutorial.

Navigating to the PowerPoint color theme editor
Selecting from PowerPoint's preset theme colors
Creating and editing your own theme colors
Swapping one image for another.

In PowerPoint, theme colors are pre-designed color schemes that can be applied to a presentation to give it a consistent and professional look. A theme color includes colors for various elements such as text, background, accents, and hyperlinks.

When you apply a theme color to your presentation, all the elements set to use theme colors will change to match the new color scheme. This can save time and effort in creating a visually appealing presentation, as you don't have to adjust each element's color manually.

Choose one of PowerPoint's Built-in Theme Color Pallets.

PowerPoint comes with several built-in theme colors, and you can also create custom theme colors to match your branding or preferences. Using consistent theme colors throughout your presentation can create a cohesive, polished look that enhances your message and engages your audience.

Open the PowerPoint presentation you want to edit.
Click on the Design tab in the ribbon at the top of the screen.

Click on the "Colors" drop-down menu in the "Variants" section.

Choose one of the pre-set office color themes.

How to create a custom theme color palette in PowerPoint

Choose "Customize Colors" at the bottom of the menu.

The customize colors button for editing themes.

"Accent 1-6": These colors are the main colors in the color theme.

Where the accent colors are in edit color theme window.

"Hyperlink" and "Followed Hyperlink": These colors are used for hyperlinks in your presentation.
"Text/Background 1-2": These colors are used for the text and background in your presentation.
To customize a color, click on the color drop-down arrow and select "More Colors" to choose a color from the standard color palette or enter a specific RGB or HSL value.

After you have customized your colors, click on the "Save" button to save your custom theme color palette.

Once you have saved your custom theme color palette, it will appear in the Theme Colors gallery and can be applied to any presentation. Creating a custom theme color palette ensures that your presentation has a consistent and professional look that reflects your brand or personal style.

Here are the steps to change theme colors in PowerPoint:

Right-click on a color theme and choose edit from the menu.

In the "Create New Theme Colors" dialog box, you can choose colors for six different elements: Text/Background, Accent 1, Accent 2, Accent 3, Accent 4, and Accent 5.
To choose a new color for an element, click on the color box next to the element and select a new color from the color picker.

Once you've selected all the colors you want to use, click "Save" to save your custom color theme.
Your new color theme will be applied to your presentation immediately.

That's it! You've now successfully changed the theme colors in your PowerPoint presentation.

Using the OfficeThemes in PowerPoint

Where to expand the office themes in PowerPoint.

The Theme Colors gallery in PowerPoint is a feature that allows you to quickly apply a set of coordinated colors to your presentation. These colors are based on the color theme that you have selected for your presentation, which can be customized or chosen from a range of built-in themes.

Need help deleting a color theme in PowerPoint?

To delete a color theme in PowerPoint, follow these steps:

Click on the "Colors" button in the "Themes" group on the "Design" tab of the PowerPoint ribbon.
In the Theme Colors gallery, scroll down to the bottom and click on "Customize Colors."
In the "Create New Theme Colors" dialog box, select the color theme that you want to delete from the "Name" drop-down menu.
Then, right-click on the name of the color theme you want to delete.
Click on the "Delete" button next to the "Name" drop-down menu.
A confirmation dialog box will appear. Click on the "Yes" button to confirm that you want to delete the color theme.
Once you have deleted the color theme, click on the "Save" button to save the changes.

The color theme will now be removed from your list of available color themes.

*NOTE - It's important to note that deleting a color theme will also remove it from any presentations that use it, so be sure to double-check before deleting a theme.

To use theme colors on an element in PowerPoint, follow these steps:

Select the element that you want to apply the theme color to, such as a shape, text box, or chart.
Click on the "Shape Fill," "Shape Outline," or "Text Fill" button in the "Shape Styles" section on the "Format" tab of the PowerPoint ribbon, depending on the type of element you are working with.

Where to add a accent color to an eleement.

Choose the color that you want to apply to the element by clicking on it in the color palette.

The element will now have the selected theme color applied to it. Using theme colors ensures that all the elements in your presentation are coordinated and have a consistent color scheme.

Changing theme colors in PowerPoint Mac

To change the theme colors in PowerPoint on a Mac, follow these steps:

Open PowerPoint and create a new presentation or open an existing one.
Click on the "Design" tab in the top toolbar.
In the "Themes" group, click on the "Colors" drop-down menu.
Select "Customize Colors" at the bottom of the menu.
In the "Create New Theme Colors" window, you can customize each color by clicking on it and selecting a new color from the color picker, or by entering specific color values in the boxes below.
Once you have customized all the colors to your liking, click "Save" at the bottom of the window.
Give your new color theme a name, and then click "Save" again.

Your new color theme will now be available in the "Colors" drop-down menu, and you can apply it to your presentation by selecting it from the list.

Here is how to add a quick access button to open the color themes gallery.

To add quick access to the toolbar for the color theme gallery in PowerPoint, follow these steps:

Click on the "Colors" drop down in the "Varients" group on the "Design" tab of the PowerPoint ribbon.
Right-click on a color theme to open the option quick access toolbar.
Select "Add to Quick Access Toolbar" from the context menu.
The color theme icon will now be added to the quick access toolbar at the top of the PowerPoint window.

You can also add all the color themes to the quick access toolbar by clicking on the "More Commands" button in the quick access toolbar and selecting "Popular Commands" from the "Choose commands from" drop-down menu. Then, scroll down to find the "Theme Colors" option, select it, and click on the "Add" button.

Adding the color theme gallery to the quick access toolbar allows you to quickly switch between color themes with just one click, saving you time and streamlining your workflow.

Find a color theme using a Color Pallet creator.

But, if you have looked through the PowerPoint theme colors and have found nothing you want to use, I would recommend trying out a color palette creator. There are many free pallet creators out there, but the one I like to use is Adobe Color Creator. In this application, you can change the RGB values of a color and it will give you corresponding colors that work as a theme. As a result, this will help you build a nice-looking set of theme colors. Likewise, you can also use the Extract from Image option to pull theme colors and create a palette from a photo. Check out this application here.

Thanks for taking the time to check out this PowerPoint Tutorial!

We hope you've learned something new and exciting. Now, take a look at our library of PowerPoint Templates. Start downloading PPT templates and customizing the themes to your favorite color palette.

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How to change theme colors in Google Slides

Google Slides offers many themes for you to pick from for an attractive and consistent appearance for your slideshow. You might see a theme you like but want to match your company logo , your school colors, or even the seasonal shades.

Choose a theme in Google Slides

Change theme colors in google slides.

You can customize a theme you choose in Google Slides by changing the colors. This lets you add a personal touch to your presentation.

What You Need

Web browser

Google account

You can pick a theme at any point in your presentation creation. But if you choose one from the start, you can more easily visualize the overall appearance as you place your elements on the slides.

Step 1: When you open a blank presentation in Google Slides, you should see the Themes sidebar open at the same time. If not, simply select a slide and pick Theme in the toolbar at the top.

Step 2: You’ll see over 20 themes display in the sidebar. You can pick from basic light or dark, casual and colorful, or elegant options.

Select the one you want, and you’ll see your slideshow update immediately with the new color scheme, fonts, and design.

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Step 3: Use the X on the top right of the Themes sidebar to close it.

Like selecting a theme, you can customize a presentation's color scheme at any point during your editing process.

Step 1: Choose a slide in your presentation, select the Slide tab, and pick Edit theme .

Step 2: You'll then see the Theme Builder open. This displays all slides in the theme along the left side, beginning with the master slide at the top.

Optionally, you can choose Rename at the top if you want to give the theme a different name.

Step 3: Pick a slide to get started. Keep in mind that when you change the colors, it changes them on each slide in that theme.

Select Colors in the toolbar at the top.

Step 4: When the sidebar displays on the right, open the Choose a theme color drop-down box.

Step 5: Pick one of the theme colors that you want to change. You’ll see options like text and background, accent, and link.

Step 6: You can then enter the hex code, use the shade tool, move the hue slider, or choose a default color. You’ll see your change immediately on the slides to the left in the Theme Builder.

Step 7: When you finish changing all of the colors you want, use the X on the top right to close the sidebar and then the X on the top right of the Theme Builder to close it too.

You’ll then be back to the normal view for your presentation, where you can continue editing your slideshow.

Now that you know how to change theme colors in Google Slides, check out more ways to customize your slideshow. Look at how to draw on Google Slides or how to add audio or video to your presentation .

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