Creating tempates - setting default style of chart legends

Hello Clare,

Thank you for your question.

To ensure your charts and diagrams in Word consistently use your brand colours, including the legends, you need to update the default colour palette or create a custom chart style that reflects your brand colours, including the grey for the legends. Here’s how to change the default chart colours, including the legend, in Word:

Method 1: Set Custom Colours for Charts and Diagrams

1. Open a Chart or Diagram:

- In your Word document, insert a chart or diagram (e.g., a bar chart, pie chart, etc.) by going to Insert > Chart.

2. Select the Chart:

- Click on the chart or diagram to select it. This will open the Chart Tools tab at the top, which includes two sub-tabs: Design and Format.

3. Change the Colours:

- Under Chart Tools > Design, click on Change Colours (usually located in the top-left corner).

- From here, you’ll see a list of pre-set colour options, but you can create custom colours to match your brand.

- To customize the colours, click on Chart Tools > Design > Change Colours > Colour Options at the bottom.

4. Customize Theme Colours:

- Click on Customize Colours to open the colour scheme editor.

- Change the colours for the Accent options to your brand’s colours, including the grey for the legend.

- You can add custom RGB or HEX codes for each accent colour to match your brand.

5. Save the Custom Colour Scheme:

- After customising the colours, click Save. This will set the default colours for any new charts and diagrams you create.

6. Apply the Custom Colour Scheme to Your Charts:

- Now, when you create new charts or diagrams, Word will use this custom colour scheme by default.

Method 2: Create a Custom Chart Template

1. Format a Chart:

- Insert a chart and manually format all aspects of it, including the series colours, legend font, and colour.

2. Save as a Template:

- After formatting the chart to your preferences, right-click on the chart and select Save as Template.

- Choose a name for your template and save it.

3. Apply the Template:

- When you insert a new chart in Word, you can now apply your saved template from the Insert Chart window by selecting Templates.

Method 3: Modify Word’s Default Theme Colours

1. Go to the Design Tab:

- In the top ribbon of your Word document, click on the Design tab.

2. Select Colours:

- In the Design tab, click on the Colours drop-down.

3. Create New Theme Colours:

- Select Customize Colours at the bottom of the list.

- In the Create New Theme Colours window, change the accent colours to your brand colours.

- Set Text/Background - Light/Dark and Accent colours to match your organisation's branding.

- Give your colour theme a name and click Save.

4. Apply the Theme:

- Once saved, this theme will be available for any new charts or diagrams in your document and will include the grey for the legend.


Following these steps should ensure that your charts and diagrams in Word use your brand's custom colours, including for the legends. Let me know if you need more details on any step!

I hope this helps.

Marius Barnard
STL