How to Change Chart Colors in Excel to Match Your Brand or Theme

Your Excel charts may not reflect your company’s brand colors or presentation theme. Excel uses a default color palette for all new charts. This article explains how to change chart colors in Excel to match your specific design requirements. You will learn how to apply custom colors to individual chart elements and create reusable color themes.

Understanding Excel’s Color System for Charts

Excel charts use colors from the active document theme. A theme is a set of coordinated colors, fonts, and effects. The default theme is called Office. When you create a chart, the data series use the first six accent colors from this theme in order. Changing the theme changes all colors in the workbook, not just the chart. You can also modify colors for a single chart without affecting the overall theme.

Before you start, identify the exact color codes for your brand. The most common formats are RGB and HEX. RGB stands for Red, Green, Blue, with values from 0 to 255 for each. HEX is a six-digit code starting with a hash, like #FF5733. You will need these values to apply precise custom colors.

Steps to Change Colors for a Single Chart

You can modify colors directly on a chart you have already created. This method is best for quick, one-time changes.

1. Select your chart
   Click anywhere on the chart border or plot area. The Chart Design and Format tabs will appear on the ribbon.
2. Apply a different color palette
   Go to Chart Design > Change Colors. Hover over the color palettes to see a live preview on your chart. Click one to apply it. This changes all data series colors at once.
3. Change the color of a single element
   Click directly on the chart element you want to recolor, such as one data series bar. Go to the Format tab. Click Shape Fill in the Shape Styles group. Choose a standard color from the gallery.
4. Apply a custom color
   In the same Shape Fill menu, select More Fill Colors. In the Colors dialog box, go to the Custom tab. Enter your specific RGB values or select a color with the picker. Click OK to apply the exact color to the selected chart element.

Using the Format Pane for Precise Control

1. Open the format pane
   Right-click the chart element you want to change and select Format Data Series. A task pane will open on the right side of the window.
2. Navigate to the fill options
   In the Format Data Series pane, click the Fill & Line icon, which looks like a paint bucket. Expand the Fill section.
3. Select a solid fill and custom color
   Select the Solid fill option. Click the Color button to open the color selector. Choose More Colors at the bottom. Enter your custom RGB or HEX code and click OK.

Creating a Custom Color Theme for All Charts

To apply your brand colors to every new chart automatically, create a custom theme. This theme saves in your workbook and can be set as the default.

1. Access the theme colors menu
   Go to the Page Layout tab on the ribbon. In the Themes group, click Colors. At the bottom of the menu, click Customize Colors.
2. Define your theme colors
   The Create New Theme Colors dialog box opens. You will see twelve color slots. The top four are for text and background. The next six are the accent colors used for chart data series. Click the button next to Accent 1.
3. Set your brand colors
   Select More Colors. In the Custom tab, enter the RGB values for your first brand color. Click OK. Repeat this process for Accent 2, Accent 3, and so on, using your brand’s color sequence.
4. Save and name the theme
   Enter a name for your theme, such as “Company Brand.” Click Save. Your workbook now uses this new theme. Any new chart you insert will use your custom accent colors.

Common Mistakes and Limitations

Colors Revert When Changing Themes

If you manually changed a chart’s colors and then apply a different workbook theme, the chart may revert to the theme’s colors. To prevent this, right-click the chart and select Set as Default Chart. This saves your custom formatting as the default for this workbook only.

Custom Theme Not Available in Other Workbooks

A custom theme is saved within the current workbook file. To use it in a new workbook, open the workbook with the saved theme. Go to Page Layout > Themes. Right-click your custom theme and select Add to Gallery. It will now appear in the Themes gallery for all new workbooks on this computer.

Gradient and Picture Fills Not Printing Correctly

Complex fills like gradients or pictures can sometimes appear differently when printed or exported to PDF. For critical reports, use solid color fills. Before finalizing, use File > Print to check the print preview.

Manual Recoloring vs. Custom Theme: Key Differences

Item	Manual Recoloring	Custom Theme
Scope of Change	Affects only the selected chart	Affects all charts and elements in the workbook
Best Use Case	One-time adjustment for a specific report	Applying brand standards across all company documents
Setup Time	Fast, done directly on the chart	Longer initial setup to define all accent colors
Reusability	Not reusable; must be repeated for each new chart	Saved and can be set as the default for new workbooks
Color Consistency	Risk of slight variations between charts	Guarantees identical color application everywhere

You can now change any chart’s colors to match your brand. Use the Format Data Series pane for the most precise color control. For consistent branding, create a custom theme via Page Layout > Themes > Colors. Try using the F4 key after applying a custom color to repeat the action on another chart element quickly.