How to Save and Reuse Excel Themes and Formatting Across Workbooks
Question details
The user wants to know how to save and reuse custom themes and formatting across multiple Excel workbooks, or where to request an improved universal theme manager.
- Product
- Microsoft Excel
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Designing consistent workbooks and wanting to apply the same themes, styles, and formatting without repeating the setup process.
- Observed behavior
- Excel lacks a universal built-in Theme Manager that automatically applies a master design to all workbooks, requiring users to rely on custom templates, theme files, or format painting.
Ensure you have your desired colors, fonts, and cell styles already applied to a sample workbook before attempting to save it as a custom theme or template.
Save and Apply a Custom Document Theme
Save your current workbook's design as a theme file (.thmx) to easily apply your preferred colors, fonts, and effects to any other workbook.
A document theme coordinates colors, fonts, and graphic formatting effects. By saving a custom theme, you can maintain visual consistency across all your Excel files.
Open the Excel workbook containing your desired formatting and click on the 'Page Layout' tab.
In the Themes group, click the 'Themes' dropdown button and select 'Save Current Theme' at the bottom of the menu.
Enter a recognizable name for your theme and click 'Save'. Excel will save this in the default Document Themes folder.
To reuse this formatting, open a new workbook, navigate to 'Page Layout' > 'Themes', and select your newly saved theme from the 'Custom' section.
Create a Custom Excel Template
Save your formatted workbook as an Excel Template (.xltx) so every new file created from it inherits your exact formatting, including cell styles and page layouts.
Submit a Feature Request to Microsoft
Since Excel lacks a universal Theme Manager, you can request this feature directly from the Microsoft development team.
Save and Apply Custom Templates in WPS Spreadsheet
WPS Spreadsheet provides a highly compatible and intuitive platform for managing workbook designs. You can easily save your stylized workbook as a template to reuse formatting across all your future spreadsheets without needing complex theme managers.
- 1. Setup Your Workbook: Open WPS Spreadsheet and apply your desired fonts, colors, and cell formatting to the workbook.
- 2. Save as Template: Click on 'Menu' > 'Save As', select 'Other Formats', and choose 'WPS Spreadsheet Template (*.ett)' or 'Excel Template (*.xltx)'.
- 3. Reuse the Template: Whenever you need a new file with this design, click 'Menu' > 'New' and select your saved template to instantly apply the formatting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I set a custom theme as the default for all new Excel workbooks?
Yes, you can achieve this by creating a blank workbook, applying your custom theme, and saving the file as an Excel Template (.xltx) named 'Book.xltx' in your XLSTART folder. All new workbooks will then open with this theme applied by default.
Why doesn't the Format Painter copy document themes?
The Format Painter only copies direct cell formatting (like specific fonts, fill colors, and borders) applied to targeted cells. Document themes are workbook-level settings configured via the Page Layout tab and must be saved and loaded separately.
Where are custom Excel themes saved on my computer?
By default, custom themes are saved as .thmx files in the Document Themes folder. On Windows, this is typically located at C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Templates\Document Themes.
Are custom cell styles saved with the document theme?
No, custom cell styles are saved within the specific workbook, not in the .thmx theme file. To reuse custom cell styles across multiple workbooks, you should either save your file as a template (.xltx) or use the 'Merge Styles' feature found at the bottom of the Cell Styles menu.
