How to Create a Custom Color Palette in Microsoft Word

Whether you are designing a corporate newsletter, formatting a resume, or creating a flyer for a community event, colour consistency is crucial for a professional appearance. If you constantly have to open the “More Colors” dialogue box, search for the exact Hex code you used on page one, and manually apply it to a heading on page ten, you are wasting an enormous amount of time.

Instead of manually hunting for the same shades of blue or green every time you highlight text or fill a shape, you should replace Word’s default color palette with a custom palette tailored specifically to your project’s branding.

This guide explains how to create, save, and apply a custom color palette in Microsoft Word so your specific brand colors are always exactly one click away.

Step 1: Understand the Word Theme System

In Microsoft Word, the grid of colors you see when you click the Font Color or Shape Fill button is tied to the document’s overall “Theme.” A Theme consists of fonts, effects, and a palette of exactly 12 core colors.

The top row of the color grid displays these 12 core colors. The columns beneath them are automatically generated lighter and darker variations (tints and shades) of those core colors.

To change the options in this grid, you must edit the Theme Colors.

Step 2: Create Your Custom Palette

You can define exactly which colors appear in that top row.

1. Open your Microsoft Word document.
2. Click the Design tab in the ribbon at the top of the window.
3. On the far right side of the Design ribbon, look for the “Document Formatting” group and click the Colors button. (It usually has a small icon of overlapping colorful squares).
4. A drop-down menu will appear showing dozens of pre-built Microsoft palettes (like “Office,” “Grayscale,” or “Warm Blue”). Scroll to the very bottom of this list.
5. Click on Customize Colors… (On Mac, this may be labeled “Create New Theme Colors”).

Step 3: Define the Hex Codes

The “Create New Theme Colors” dialog box will appear. You will see the 12 core color slots. Four are for text and backgrounds (usually black, white, and greys), six are for accents (the main colors you use for charts, shapes, and prominent headings), and two are for hyperlinks.

1. Look at the six Accent color slots. Click the colored square next to Accent 1.
2. From the drop-down menu, click More Colors…
3. In the new Colors window, click the Custom tab.
4. At the bottom of the Custom tab, find the Hex input box. Type or paste the exact Hex code for your brand’s primary color (e.g., #1E90FF).
5. Click OK.
6. Repeat this process for Accents 2 through 6, entering the Hex codes for your secondary brand colors.

Step 4: Save and Apply the Palette

Once you have defined your colors, you need to save the palette so you can use it again in the future.

1. At the bottom of the “Create New Theme Colors” dialog box, find the Name field.
2. Type a descriptive name for your new palette (e.g., “Corporate Brand Colors” or “Resume Palette”).
3. Click the Save button.

Now, go back to the Home tab and click the Font Color drop-down menu. You will immediately see that the entire top row has been replaced with your custom brand colors, and Word has automatically generated perfect gradients and shades beneath them. Every chart, shape, and text box you create in this document will now default to your professional color scheme.