PowerPoint templates are often an essential tool in your business. Of the many challenges people face with branded templates, colour is often one of the problem topics. Issues such as:
- People are not sticking to the brand colours in PowerPoint
- There are not enough brand colours for complex graphs
- People pick different colour combinations and presentations do not look consistent
- People are picking the blank slide and doing their own thing
In this article I will discuss some key points about brand colours in PowerPoint
NB. My examples have been generated on a Mac and some of the navigation is different on a PC. The principles are the same.
Customise the theme colour palette
If you haven’t already, start by making a custom colour palette. This is done in the master slide view. Go to ‘Master Pages’ and select ‘Customise Colours’ in the colour menu. If you have a custom colour palette and need to update it, right click on the colour palette and select ‘Edit’.
The theme colours are the 10 colour boxes across the top. The five rows of tints underneath are auto-generated by PowerPoint. They are not true tints. Watch out for colours in the tints section that clash with your brand colours. I often see people use these colours as brand colours which can result in presentations looking like a different style to the website for example. Be consistent with your colour use and everything will look more streamlined and more professional. If you do not want people to use some of the colours in the auto-generated tints panel, I suggest you add a page in your PowerPoint template detailing which colours to use. I suggest going a step further by adding example pages with the desired use of colour for different types of content.
Include multiple examples in your templates with the correct use of your brand colours
Include multiple slide designs with the correct use of colour in your template:
- Cover page – include options for different types of presentation e.g. creds deck or client report. You may want to include 2 or more colour options if people would like a choice e.g. different departments may want to differentiate themselves
- Contents – if necessary, include 2 or more versions ranging from a simple 3 section presentation to a more complex report with subsections so there is a template to fit all needs. Colour can play a key role to differentiate content and you want to ensure colours are used in a consistent manner
- Section divider slides – Include 2 or more options for different types of section dividers. Again, a variation of colour options may be required for colour-coding sections
- Show examples of the colour combinations that should be used in graphs and charts so they are consistent across all presentations.
- Show examples of the colours you want people to use in SmartArt graphics to ensure consistency
- Continue to assess and add more examples of pages that are regularly used to ensure consistency such as meet the team pages or next steps slides
- Remember, the Annex should also be on brand and continue to use the correct colour combinations. Add examples to make it easy for people to pick the right colours and styles.
Remember, a consistent brand style looks more professional and continuity will help the company stand out with high-quality presentations.
It matters where you place colours in theme colours
PowerPoint uses the theme colours to create default options. For example:
Dark 1 is used as the default text colour. I suggest you pick the colour to be used for all body text and make that colour Dark 1 in the theme colours.
SmartArt uses the accent colours to form the default colour options. You could repeat the dark 1 colour as an accent colour so it is automatically available in SmartArt as well as being the default text colour. Customise SmartArt colours on the page if necessary. Show examples of the colours you want people to use.
Sometimes, additional colour groups are needed for complex graphs
Add an additional set of complimentary colours with suitable contrast for use in graphs and charts to avoid people using colours that do not sit in tune with your brand style.
Maintain consistent style and use of colour in your PowerPoint templates for polished professional results.
Get your PowerPoint template designs up to scratch
For a polished look and consistent design flow, I can help with design for PowerPoint presentations, creds decks and reports.
AUTHOR: Nikki Shield
Nikki has over 20 years experience of working with businesses creating logos, graphics and design collateral. She understands the importance of building a picture in an authentic way that aids communication.
