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How to Create Custom Color Themes in Excel and Word on Mac
Question details
The user wants to create custom color themes in Microsoft Excel and Word on a newer iMac running Microsoft 365, but the option previously available in the Design tab is missing.
- Product
- Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint
- Device & OS
- Mac
- Scenario
- Setting up brand colors or custom color palettes for documents and spreadsheets in Microsoft 365 on macOS.
- Observed behavior
- The interface to create custom color schemes is absent from the Design tab in Excel and Word on Mac.
Ensure you have Microsoft PowerPoint installed on your Mac, as Microsoft 365 requires you to use PowerPoint's interface to build custom themes that can then be applied to Word and Excel.
Use PowerPoint to Create and Save Custom Themes
Since Excel and Word for Mac lack the direct interface to create custom color themes, you must use PowerPoint to build and save them for use across all Office apps.
Microsoft 365 for Mac consolidates theme creation into PowerPoint. Once you create and save a theme in PowerPoint, it becomes available in the Themes gallery for both Word and Excel on the same device.
Launch Microsoft PowerPoint and open a new blank presentation.
Navigate to the 'Design' tab on the ribbon. Click the arrow next to the 'Variants' group, then select 'Colors' and click 'Customize Colors'.
In the dialog box, choose your desired colors for text, backgrounds, and accents. Enter a memorable name for your custom theme and click 'Save'.
Open Word or Excel. Go to the 'Design' tab (in Word) or 'Page Layout' tab (in Excel), click the 'Themes' dropdown, and select your newly saved theme under the Custom section.
Edit the Theme XML File Manually
For advanced users or IT administrators, you can manually create or modify a custom color theme by editing the Office theme XML files directly.
Experience Seamless Document Formatting with WPS Office
Frustrated by missing interface options in Microsoft 365 for Mac? WPS Office offers a complete, lightweight, and user-friendly office suite that makes document formatting and theme customization straightforward without forcing you to switch between different applications.
- 1. Download and Install: Get WPS Office for Mac from the official website and install the unified application suite.
- 2. Open Your Office Files: Launch WPS Office and open your existing Word or Excel documents directly with full format retention.
- 3. Customize Your Layout: Use the intuitive Page Layout tools to quickly adjust document colors and styles without restrictive menus.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why can't I find the custom color option in Word or Excel for Mac?
Microsoft 365 for Mac restricts the creation of custom color themes to PowerPoint. While Word and Excel can apply existing themes, they lack the interface to create new custom color palettes from scratch.
Where are custom Office themes saved on a Mac?
Custom themes are typically saved in the local user's hidden Library folder, navigating to ~/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.Office/User Content/Themes/.
Can I share my custom color theme with other Mac users?
Yes, you can share a custom theme by exporting it as a .thmx file from PowerPoint. Other users can open this file or place it in their local Office Themes folder to use the same colors.
