How to Create a Custom Color Set and Theme in Microsoft Word

Key Takeaways 

• You can also make a custom color set and save those sets or themes as templates for future use.
• Creating your custom color set allows you to apply a unique and personalized touch to your document’s appearance.
• You can create a custom color set by tweaking an existing theme or combining your color preferences.

How to Create a Custom Color Set

In Microsoft Word, a color set is a collection of colors used to organize and store colors. The color set can comprise different variants of the same color, colors that go well together, used often, or used for a specific design. Here’s how you can create your own unique color set on Microsoft Word.

Step 1: Launch Microsoft Word.

Step 2: Open your desired document.

Step 3: On the Microsoft Ribbon at the top of the window, click on the Design tab.

Step 4: Click on the drop-down beneath the Colors option.

Step 5: When the drop-down reveals several options, click the Customize Colors button to launch the Create New Theme Colors dialog box.

Step 6: Under the Theme colors view, click the drop-down beside Text/Background color, Accent Color, or Hyperlink color.

Step 7: From the drop-down, either select a color from the default Word options shown under Theme Colors and Standard Colors or click on More Colors to choose a custom color.

 If you click on More Colors option, this would open another dialog box. On the More Colors dialog box, click the Custom tab.

Step 8: In the Custom menu, click on the Color model to select whether to provide the RGB (Red, Green, and Blue) value or the HSL (Hue, Saturation, and Lightness) value of your custom color.

Step 9: Click OK to close the More Colors dialog box, and your color should now appear under Theme Colors. The newly created color will also appear under your Recent Colors.

Step 10: Make updates to all the Text/Background, Accent, and Hyperlink colors as you prefer, then click the text box beside Name to provide a custom name for your new color set.

Step 11: Click Save to save your new color set and close the dialog box.

Pro Tip: You may also consider changing the background in Microsoft Word.

How to Create a Custom Font Set

To create a custom theme in Microsoft Word, you must combine a color and font set. Creating a color set has already been covered above. So, here’s how to create a custom font set for your custom theme.

Step 1: Launch Microsoft Word.

Step 2: Open your desired Word document.

Step 3: On the Microsoft Ribbon at the top, click on the Design tab.

Step 4: In the Design Group, click on the drop-down beneath the Font option.

Step 5: Click the Customize Fonts button from the drop-down to launch the Create New Theme Fonts dialog box.

Step 6: Click the drop-down beneath Heading font and select your preferred font for the theme.

Step 7: Click the drop-down beneath Body font and select your preferred body text font for the theme. The changes you make under Heading and Body font will be visible in the Sample window.

Step 8: Click the text box beside Name to enter a name for your new theme fonts.

Step 9: Click Save to save your new changes and close the dialog box.

How to Create a Custom Theme

Now that you have your custom color and font set, here’s how to create a custom theme.

Step 1: In your open Word document, click the Design tab at the top of the Microsoft Ribbon.

Step 2: In the Design Group, click on the drop-down beneath the Colors option.

Step 3: Click the name of your Custom Color set to apply it.

Step 4: In the Design Group, click on the drop-down beneath the Fonts option.

Step 5: Click the name of your Custom Font set to apply it.

Step 6: In the Design Group, click on the drop-down beneath the Themes option.

Step 7: At the bottom of the drop-down menu, click the Save Current Theme button, which will launch your File Library.

Step 8: Enter a name for your new theme and click Save.