Excel 97 through Excel 2003 was limited to 56 colors, but you dont have to keep the 56 colors that Microsoft chose. You can customize the colors for any workbook. Episode 526 shows you how.
This blog is the video podcast companion to the book, Learn Excel from MrExcel. Download a new two minute video every workday to learn one of the 277 tips from the book!
This blog is the video podcast companion to the book, Learn Excel from MrExcel. Download a new two minute video every workday to learn one of the 277 tips from the book!
Transcript of the video:
Okay, welcome back to the MrExcel netcast.
I'm Bill Jelen.
One question I get repeatedly is about the color palette in excel. In excel 97 through 2003, we were limited to only 56 colors. We look at the Fill drop down here.
You'll see the 56 colors that are usually built in.
Now if you don't like those 56 colors you can change the 56 colors to a different set.
It's a little bit tedious you have to go to Tools Options then of the 13 tabs you want to go to the color tab which is usually in the back row left most tab and you'll see that there is the palette of 56 colors plus a series of colors for Chart fills and a series of colors for Chart lines.
Now if you want to change any color you simply click the color and click modify.
You can choose from any of the colors in this color palette or if you want to match your company logo and go to your graphic designer, who'll be able to tell you the RGB values and the RGB values will basically allow you to create any one of 16 million colors.
So you can key in some specific RGB value to come up with some color that might match your company logo.
Now I just pick something randomly there and click ok and you would basically have to go through that process 56 times if you wanted to customize all your colors.
If you need it to add just a few colors for your logo.
well Then it's easy enough to add those at you know in some spot.
Pick some colors you think you're not going to use and replace those.
You also might want to go through and change the Chart fills here.
I've changed the default Chart to three other colors to kind of match the MrExcel color scheme.
And the nice thing here now is when I go to create a chart, Already, you'll see something different.
It's using the different color scheme when I click finish.
Instead of the pale colors that we usually get for the Chart fills.
I can create my own custom colors that are used for all default charts.
Well hey, that's the start of color palette.
We're going to talk more about color palettes throughout the week.
Thanks for stopping by. Will see you next time for another netcast from MrExcel.
I'm Bill Jelen.
One question I get repeatedly is about the color palette in excel. In excel 97 through 2003, we were limited to only 56 colors. We look at the Fill drop down here.
You'll see the 56 colors that are usually built in.
Now if you don't like those 56 colors you can change the 56 colors to a different set.
It's a little bit tedious you have to go to Tools Options then of the 13 tabs you want to go to the color tab which is usually in the back row left most tab and you'll see that there is the palette of 56 colors plus a series of colors for Chart fills and a series of colors for Chart lines.
Now if you want to change any color you simply click the color and click modify.
You can choose from any of the colors in this color palette or if you want to match your company logo and go to your graphic designer, who'll be able to tell you the RGB values and the RGB values will basically allow you to create any one of 16 million colors.
So you can key in some specific RGB value to come up with some color that might match your company logo.
Now I just pick something randomly there and click ok and you would basically have to go through that process 56 times if you wanted to customize all your colors.
If you need it to add just a few colors for your logo.
well Then it's easy enough to add those at you know in some spot.
Pick some colors you think you're not going to use and replace those.
You also might want to go through and change the Chart fills here.
I've changed the default Chart to three other colors to kind of match the MrExcel color scheme.
And the nice thing here now is when I go to create a chart, Already, you'll see something different.
It's using the different color scheme when I click finish.
Instead of the pale colors that we usually get for the Chart fills.
I can create my own custom colors that are used for all default charts.
Well hey, that's the start of color palette.
We're going to talk more about color palettes throughout the week.
Thanks for stopping by. Will see you next time for another netcast from MrExcel.
