Formatting Issues

How to Find and Use the WCAG Color Palette in PowerPoint

Maira Mehtab Sep 21, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user wants to locate and apply a WCAG color palette they observed in a Microsoft OneDrive Quick Start presentation to their own PowerPoint slides.

Product: Microsoft PowerPoint
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Designing accessible presentations using standardized WCAG color palettes to ensure high contrast and readability.
Observed behavior: The user saw a WCAG color palette on the right side of slides in an official presentation and wants to know how to obtain and integrate it into their own PowerPoint workflow.

Before you start

Familiarize yourself with the Slide Master view and the Eyedropper tool in your presentation software, as you will need them to sample and apply custom colors from an external reference file.

Solution 1Recommended

Use the EMF Palette File as a Visual Reference

Download the original EMF palette file and place it on your Slide Master to manually sample colors using the Eyedropper tool.

The palette seen in the OneDrive announcement is actually an EMF file placed directly onto the slide master. It acts as a visual reference guide rather than an automated theme, meaning the colors must be sampled or entered manually.

Download the EMF file

Obtain the reference EMF file from the shared OneDrive link provided in the original announcement (https://1drv.ms/u/s!AuMdOB79OSNjnzH2EPItvD5lyFxT?e=hY1Rad).

Open Slide Master

In PowerPoint, navigate to the 'View' tab on the top ribbon and click on 'Slide Master'.

Insert the EMF file

Go to the 'Insert' tab, select 'Pictures', and place the downloaded EMF palette file on the right side of your master slide.

Sample colors using the Eyedropper

When formatting text or shapes in your normal slide view, open the color dropdown menu, select 'Eyedropper', and click on the desired color from the EMF palette to apply it.

Solution 2

Add Custom Colors via XML Editing

For a permanent integration of the WCAG colors into your presentation theme, you can modify the XML code of your PowerPoint file.

Accessible Slide Design

Create Accessible Presentations Easily with WPS Presentation

WPS Presentation provides a highly compatible and intuitive environment for designing accessible slides. You can effortlessly manage Master Slides, insert reference palettes, and use built-in color-picking tools to ensure your design meets WCAG standards.

1. Open Slide Master: Launch WPS Presentation, navigate to the 'Design' tab, and click on 'Edit Slide Master'.
2. Insert the Reference Palette: Drag and drop your WCAG color palette image or EMF file onto the master layout so it appears across your slides.
3. Apply Colors with Eyedropper: Highlight your text or shape, click the color fill dropdown, select 'Eyedropper', and click the palette to match the exact WCAG compliant color.

Fully compatible with Microsoft PowerPoint (.pptx) formatsIntuitive Slide Master functionality for global design changesBuilt-in eyedropper tool for precise color matchingFree and lightweight alternative for creating professional, accessible slides

Frequently Asked Questions

What does WCAG stand for in presentation design?

WCAG stands for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. In the context of presentations, using a WCAG color palette ensures high contrast and readability, making your slides accessible to individuals with visual impairments or color blindness.

Can I save a custom color palette directly in PowerPoint without XML editing?

While you can customize the standard theme colors (Accents 1-6, Background, Text) via the 'Slide Master' > 'Colors' > 'Customize Colors' menu, adding additional standalone custom color swatches permanently to the interface requires modifying the XML file.

Where is the Eyedropper tool located?

The Eyedropper tool is typically found at the bottom of the color dropdown menu when you are changing font colors, shape fills, or shape outlines in the formatting ribbon.

Document & File Issues