Custom Color Sets in Word: Step-by-Step Guide

This guide shows you how to create and apply a custom color set and theme in Microsoft Word, so every document you make can carry the same brand colors or personal palette without re-selecting colors each time. You’ll learn to define accent colors, save them as a theme, and apply that theme to new and existing documents. You’ll need a Windows PC with Microsoft Word 2013 or later, or a Mac with Word 2016 or later.

What You’ll Need

Microsoft Word (desktop version, not the free web app)
Your chosen color values in RGB or Hex format (you can get these from a brand guide, a color picker, or an image)
Access to the folder where Word stores theme files (explained in Step 8)

Step-by-Step

Open a blank document in Word. Start with a fresh file so your theme isn’t tied to any existing content.
Go to the Design tab. In the ribbon at the top, click Design. (In older versions it might be called Page Layout.)
Open the Colors dropdown. On the right side of the Design tab, you’ll see a group labeled Document Formatting. Click the Colors button. A dropdown menu appears showing the built-in color sets.
Choose “Customize Colors…” At the bottom of that dropdown, click Customize Colors…. A dialog box named Create New Theme Colors opens.
Set your accent colors. The dialog shows 12 color slots: Text/Background – Dark 1, Light 1, Dark 2, Light 2, and eight Accent 1 through Accent 6. Click the color swatch next to any slot, then pick a color from the palette or click More Colors… to enter exact RGB or Hex values. A common approach is to set Accent 1 to your primary brand color, Accent 2 to your secondary, and so on. The Text/Background colors control the default font and page background colors.
Name your color set. In the Name field at the bottom of the dialog, type a descriptive name like “Company Blue” or “My Portfolio”. Avoid using the same name as an existing theme.
Save the color set. Click Save. Word saves the color set and immediately applies it to the current document. You’ll also see it appear at the top of the Colors dropdown under Custom.
Save the full theme (optional but recommended). To make the color set part of a complete theme that also includes fonts and effects, click the Theme button (next to Colors) and select Save Current Theme…. Choose a location and name it. By default, Word saves themes to %appdata%\Microsoft\Templates\Document Themes on Windows, or ~/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.Office/User Content/Themes on Mac. You can save it anywhere, but the default folder makes it appear in the Themes gallery.
Apply your theme to a new document. Open a new document, go to Design → Themes, and pick your saved theme from the list. If you only saved a color set (not a full theme), go to Colors and pick your custom set from the Custom section.
Apply your theme to an existing document. Open the document, go to Design → Themes (or Colors), and select your theme. Word updates all elements that use theme colors, such as headings, tables, and charts.

Common Mistakes

Choosing colors that are too similar. If Accent 1 and Accent 2 are nearly identical, charts and tables become hard to read. Use contrasting colors for different accents.
Forgetting to save the theme file. Saving a color set only saves the colors. If you want fonts and effects to travel with it, you must save the full theme.
Using the same name as a built-in theme. Word will warn you, but if you ignore it, your custom theme might overwrite the built-in one.
Applying the theme to text that already has direct formatting. If you manually colored text with a specific RGB value, the theme won’t change it. Only text formatted with theme colors updates.
Assuming the web version supports custom themes. The free Word for the web can apply a theme, but it cannot create or edit custom color sets or themes.

Tips

Use the built-in color picker to match a logo. In the More Colors dialog, switch to the Custom tab and use the eyedropper tool to click anywhere on your screen to grab an exact color.
Set hyperlink colors too. The Hyperlink and Followed Hyperlink slots at the bottom of the color dialog are often overlooked. Set them to a readable blue and a muted purple to keep links distinguishable.
Test your theme with a chart. After applying your theme, insert a quick chart to see if the accent colors work well together. Adjust and re-save if needed.
Share the theme file. To share your theme with a colleague, send them the .thmx file (saved in Step 8). They can double-click it to install it on their machine.
Keep a backup. If you reinstall Office or move to a new computer, copy your theme file from the default folder to a safe location so you don’t lose it.

Troubleshooting

My custom color set doesn’t appear in the Colors dropdown. Make sure you clicked Save (not just OK) in the Create New Theme Colors dialog. If it still doesn’t show, restart Word. On a Mac, check that you have write permission to the Theme folder.
The theme I saved doesn’t show up in the Themes gallery. Save the theme to the default folder listed in Step 8. If you saved it elsewhere, use Browse for Themes… at the bottom of the Themes dropdown to locate it.
Colors change when I open the document on another computer. This happens if the other computer doesn’t have your custom theme installed. Either install the .thmx file there, or embed the theme by going to File → Options → Save and checking Embed fonts in the file (this only helps with fonts, not colors). For colors, the safest is to share the theme file.
My custom colors don’t apply to existing text. Direct formatting overrides theme colors. Select the text, go to Home → Font Color, and choose a theme color (the top row of the color palette) instead of a standard color.
I can’t find the Design tab. If you’re using Word 2010 or earlier, the tab is called Page Layout. The Colors and Themes buttons are on the left side of that tab.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I create a color set without saving a full theme?

Yes. Saving a custom color set (Step 5–7) is enough to use those colors in any document. The full theme is only needed if you also want to save custom fonts and effects.

How do I delete a custom color set or theme?

Go to Design → Colors (or Themes), right-click the custom item, and choose Delete. You can also delete the .thmx file from the theme folder.

Will my custom theme work in PowerPoint and Excel?

Yes. Themes saved in Word are stored in a shared Office folder, so they appear in the Themes galleries of PowerPoint and Excel as well, as long as you’re using the same Office installation.

Can I use Hex color codes in the custom color dialog?

Yes. In the More Colors dialog, switch to the Custom tab. On Windows, you can type Hex values in the Hex field. On Mac, you may need to use the RGB sliders and convert Hex to decimal yourself (e.g., #FF0000 = 255, 0, 0).

Why do my colors look different on screen vs. when printed?

Monitors use RGB (red, green, blue) while printers use CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, black). The same color value can appear slightly different. To minimize this, use the color picker’s Print tab (if available) or test-print a sample.

Can I set a custom color set as the default for all new documents?

Yes. After creating your theme, go to Design → Themes, right-click your theme, and choose Set as Default. New documents will use it automatically.

General steps for current mainstream versions; menus can differ by device and version. See the disclaimer or report an error.

More in this bed

The whole Tech How-To bed →