Chart & Visualization Issues

How to Add Custom Colors to an Excel Bar Chart

Phi Hung Vo Sep 25, 2026 871 views

Question details

The user wants to apply additional or custom colors to a bar chart to replace the default chart color scheme.

How to Add Custom Colors to an Excel Bar Chart

Product: Excel
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Customizing the aesthetics of a bar chart to match a specific design, brand identity, or presentation theme.
Observed behavior: The default chart colors are limited, requiring the user to manually define and apply custom accent colors through theme settings.

Before you start

Ensure your chart is fully created and populated with data before modifying the overall theme. Have your desired color codes ready if you are trying to match a specific brand identity.

Solution 1Recommended

Modify Chart Colors using Page Layout Themes

Change the document's theme accent colors to instantly apply a customized color palette to your bar charts.

This method updates the core color palette of your entire document, ensuring that your chart colors remain consistent with other shapes and elements in the file.

Select the Chart

Click anywhere on the bar chart you want to customize to make it active.

Navigate to Page Layout

Go to the 'Page Layout' tab located on the top ribbon menu.

Open Theme Colors

In the 'Themes' section, click on the 'Colors' dropdown menu to see available palettes.

Customize Colors

Select 'Customize Colors' at the bottom of the dropdown list. Modify the colors for Accent 1 through Accent 6 according to your chart design preferences.

Apply Custom Theme

Give your new theme a name and click 'Save'. The custom theme will be applied, and your bar chart will update with the new colors.

Modify Chart Colors using Page Layout Themes

Theme Scope: Modifying the theme colors will affect all charts and shape elements within the current workbook that use theme colors.

Solution 2

Manually Format Individual Data Series

If you only want to change specific bars without affecting the whole document's theme, you can color them individually.

Best Spreadsheet Tool

Easily Customize Charts with WPS Spreadsheet

WPS Spreadsheet offers extensive charting capabilities with intuitive design tools. You can effortlessly apply custom color palettes, modify themes, and format individual data points to make your reports visually appealing.

1. Insert a Chart: Select your data range, go to the 'Insert' tab, and click 'Chart' to choose a bar chart.
2. Access Chart Colors: Click the 'Chart Tools' tab that appears when the chart is selected, then click 'Change Colors'.
3. Apply Custom Palette: Choose from the preset palettes or customize individual series colors via the format pane on the right.

100% compatible with Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) formatsPre-designed chart templates and rich color schemesIntuitive formatting pane for customizing individual chart elementsCompletely free for standard daily usage

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use exact brand colors in my Excel chart?

Yes, when customizing colors via the Page Layout tab or the Format Data Series pane, click on 'More Colors'. From there, you can input exact HEX or RGB values to match your specific brand guidelines perfectly.

Why did changing the theme color affect other charts in my workbook?

Theme colors are global settings for the entire workbook. To change the colors of only one chart without affecting others, manually edit the 'Shape Fill' color of its data series instead of changing the overall Page Layout theme.

How do I save my custom chart colors for future files?

When you use 'Customize Colors' in the Page Layout tab, you are prompted to name the color theme before saving. This custom theme is saved to your application and can be easily applied to any new workbooks from the Colors dropdown menu.

How can I make each bar a different color in the same data series?

To apply varied colors within a single series, right-click the data series, select 'Format Data Series', go to the 'Fill & Line' section, and check the box that says 'Vary colors by point'.

Excel & Data Problems