Office Settings & Configuration

How to Change Colors and Themes in Outlook and Word

Adam Davis Sep 29, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user wants to customize appearance themes and text formatting colors in Outlook emails, as well as change overall document color themes in Microsoft Word without modifying registry settings.

How to Change Colors and Themes in Outlook and Word

Product: Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Word
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Customizing the visual appearance, email text formatting, and document color schemes to suit personal preferences or branding requirements.
Observed behavior: The user is looking for a safe, built-in method to modify interface themes and document colors, specifically avoiding complex or risky registry edits.

Before you start

Ensure you are using the desktop versions of Microsoft Office apps, as the web versions may have limited theme and design customization options.

Solution 1

Customize Appearance Themes and Formatting in Outlook

Adjust the main interface theme and modify text formatting colors directly within Outlook's standard settings menu.

Microsoft Outlook provides built-in settings to adjust both the application's overall interface theme (such as Dark Mode) and the specific colors used when composing messages.

Select an Interface Theme

In Outlook, navigate to Settings (the gear icon) and select 'Appearance'. Here, you can choose a preferred theme such as Light, Dark, or System default.

Change Email Text Colors

When composing a new email, highlight the text you want to modify. Use the Font Color dropdown located on the 'Message' or 'Format Text' tab on the ribbon to select a new text color.

Solution 2Recommended

Change Document Colors Using the Word Design Tab

Apply built-in or custom color themes to instantly update the colors for text, headings, hyperlinks, and shapes across your entire Word document.

Customize Document Themes Easily

Use WPS Office to Manage Document Colors and Themes

WPS Office provides a highly compatible and intuitive interface to customize document themes, text colors, and overall formatting without navigating complex configuration menus.

1. Open Your Document in WPS Writer: Launch WPS Office and open an existing text document or create a new one.
2. Access Page Layout Options: Navigate to the 'Page Layout' tab on the top ribbon, which houses the main theme and page customization settings.
3. Select a Color Scheme: Click on the 'Colors' or 'Themes' options to instantly apply a unified color palette to your headings, text, and hyperlinks.
4. Modify Specific Text Colors: To change individual text elements, highlight the text and use the 'Text Color' icon found on the 'Home' tab to select your desired shade.

Fully compatible with Microsoft Word (.docx) formats, ensuring your custom color themes render accurately.Easily adjust page backgrounds, text colors, and unified document designs with a user-friendly ribbon.Lightweight, fast, and free to use across Windows, Mac, and mobile platforms.

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I set a default font color for all new emails in Outlook?

Yes. In the Outlook desktop app, go to File > Options > Mail > Signatures and Stationery. Click on 'Font' under 'New mail messages' to select and apply your preferred default text color for all future emails.

How do I save a custom color theme for future use in Microsoft Word?

Go to the Design tab, click Colors, and select 'Customize Colors'. Choose your specific colors for text, backgrounds, and accents, then name your theme at the bottom of the dialog box and click Save. It will now appear at the top of the Colors menu in all your documents.

Why can't I find the Design tab in my version of Word?

The dedicated Design tab was introduced in Word 2013. If you are using Word 2010 or an older version, the document theme and page color settings are located under the 'Page Layout' tab instead.

Will changing my document color theme in Word affect how it prints?

Yes, standard text and shape colors applied via the document theme will print exactly as they appear on screen. However, if you change the actual 'Page Color' (background color), you must explicitly enable 'Print background colors and images' in Word's display options for it to appear on paper.

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