You have a perfectly formatted chart in a PowerPoint presentation and want to reuse it in other slides or presentations. Copying and pasting often breaks the formatting, resets colors, or loses custom data labels. PowerPoint provides a built-in feature called Chart Templates that lets you save any chart as a .crtx file. This article explains how to save a chart as a reusable template and apply it to new data sets.
Key Takeaways: Saving and Reusing Chart Templates in PowerPoint
- Right-click chart > Save as Template: Saves the chart design, colors, and layout as a .crtx file for reuse.
- Insert Chart > Templates > Manage Templates: Opens the folder where .crtx files are stored for quick access.
- Chart Design > Change Chart Type > Templates: Applies a saved template to an existing chart without losing data.
What a Chart Template Saves and What It Does Not
A chart template in PowerPoint stores the visual appearance of a chart: chart type, color scheme, font settings, axis formatting, gridline style, legend position, data label formatting, and chart area fill. It does not store the underlying data or the data source. When you apply the template to new data, the chart adopts the saved formatting while the data is replaced with your new values.
Chart templates are saved as .crtx files in a specific folder on your computer. The default location is %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Templates\Charts. This folder is shared by all Microsoft Office applications that support chart templates, including Excel and Word. A template saved in PowerPoint is immediately available in Excel and vice versa.
Before you can save a template, the chart must be fully formatted. This includes setting the chart type, applying a color palette, adjusting axis scales, and configuring data labels. Templates work best when the chart contains representative data so that axis ranges and label positions are set correctly for future use.
Steps to Save a PowerPoint Chart as a Template
- Select the formatted chart
Click once on the chart you want to save as a template. The Chart Design and Format tabs appear on the ribbon. - Open the Save as Template dialog
Right-click the chart border, then select Save as Template from the context menu. Alternatively, go to Chart Design > Change Chart Type > Save as Template. - Name the template file
In the Save Chart Template dialog, type a descriptive name for your template. Use a name that reflects the chart type and design, for example Sales Bar Chart Blue. The file extension is .crtx. - Confirm the save location
The dialog defaults to the Charts folder inside Microsoft Templates. Do not change this folder unless you want the template to remain unavailable to PowerPoint. Click Save. - Verify the template is saved
Open a new slide and insert a chart. In the Insert Chart dialog, click the Templates tab. Your saved template appears as an icon. Click it to see a preview, then select OK to insert a chart with the saved formatting.
How to Apply a Saved Chart Template to Existing Data
- Select the chart you want to reformat
Click the chart that contains the data you want to keep but needs a new look. - Open the Change Chart Type dialog
Go to Chart Design > Change Chart Type. The Change Chart Type dialog opens. - Switch to the Templates tab
In the left pane, click Templates. The dialog shows all .crtx files in the Charts folder. - Select the template and confirm
Click the template icon, then click OK. The chart updates to match the template formatting while keeping the original data series and values.
How to Share Chart Templates Between Computers
- Locate the .crtx file on your computer
Press Win + R, type%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Templates\Charts, then press Enter. The folder opens with all your chart templates. - Copy the template file
Select the .crtx file you want to share. Press Ctrl + C to copy it. - Transfer the file to another computer
Send the file via email, a network drive, or a USB drive. On the target computer, place the file in the same%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Templates\Chartsfolder. - Restart PowerPoint
Close and reopen PowerPoint. The template appears in the Insert Chart > Templates tab and in Chart Design > Change Chart Type > Templates.
Common Mistakes and Limitations When Using Chart Templates
Template does not appear in the Insert Chart dialog
The .crtx file must be in the correct folder. If you saved it to the desktop or Documents, PowerPoint cannot find it. Move the file to %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Templates\Charts and restart PowerPoint. Also verify the file extension is .crtx, not .crt or .chart.
Colors change after applying the template
The template stores the exact color values from the original chart. If the target presentation uses a different theme, the colors may shift slightly. To prevent this, save the template after setting the chart colors to standard RGB values instead of theme colors. Right-click a chart element, select Fill or Outline, then choose More Colors and pick a specific RGB value.
Data labels or axis ranges do not match the original
A template does not store data. If your original chart had custom data labels or manual axis minimum and maximum values, those settings are saved. However, if the new data has different values, the labels and axis ranges adjust to fit the new data. For example, a template with an axis maximum of 100 will stretch to 150 if the new data reaches 150. Set axis bounds manually in the Format Axis pane before saving the template if you want fixed ranges.
Chart type is not retained when applying to a different chart type
If you save a template from a bar chart and apply it to a pie chart, the result may be unpredictable. The template forces its chart type onto the target chart. To avoid this, ensure the source and target charts are the same type, or accept that the chart type will change.
| Item | Save as Template | Copy and Paste |
|---|---|---|
| Formatting retained | All formatting including colors, fonts, axes, and labels | Formatting may break if source and target themes differ |
| Data preserved | No data saved; only formatting | Data and formatting are copied together |
| Reusability | Unlimited reuse across presentations and Office apps | Paste once; formatting may need manual adjustment |
| File size | Small .crtx file under 10 KB | Chart object can increase file size significantly |
| Portability | Easy to share via email or network | Requires copying the entire slide or presentation |
Chart templates are stored in a shared Office folder, so any template you create in PowerPoint is also available in Excel and Word. This cross-application compatibility makes .crtx files a practical tool for maintaining consistent chart design across your documents. To manage your templates, open the Charts folder at %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Templates\Charts and delete or rename files as needed.