macOS PowerPoint custom font and colour theme

Ever wonder how to create a custom theme for both fonts and colours (a.k.a. designs) in PowerPoint on macOS? In PowerPoint for Windows, is a GUI to do this, but this is lacking in the macOS version. However, it is still possible via custom XML configuration files.

Fonts

I normally never simply re-post unless I have something to add, but this is an exception as I may need this in the future! I certainly did forget that I created a Colour Set too!

The solution is by Asbjørn Ulsberg on Stack Exchange:

1. Navigate to ~/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.Office/User Content/Themes/Theme Fonts/ - use the Terminal or Finder > Go > Go to Folder....
2. Create a new file, the filename being whatever you want to call your custom theme, e.g. Helvetica Neue.xml.
3. Paste the content below, editing the typeface attriobute as desired:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?>
<a:fontScheme xmlns:a="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/drawingml/2006/main" name="Custom">
  <a:majorFont>
    <a:latin typeface="Helvetica Neue Light"/>
    <a:ea typeface=""/>
    <a:cs typeface=""/>
  </a:majorFont>
  <a:minorFont>
    <a:latin typeface="Helvetica Neue"/>
    <a:ea typeface=""/>
    <a:cs typeface=""/>
  </a:minorFont>
</a:fontScheme>

I assume ea is East Asian and cs is for Complex Script Fonts, but ignored both and only defined my desired latin font. You can repeat these steps to create separate XML files for different font sets. Note that all elements are required, even the blank ones, as is the name attribute on the fontScheme element, though I think it can be anything.

Launch PowerPoint and check via the Design ribbon > Variants > Fonts drop down:

Colours

It is also possible to create a colour set, and to my surprise I had already created one more than a year ago but forgot! Just like before:

1. Navigate to ~/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.Office/User Content/Themes/Theme Colors/ - use the Terminal or Finder > Go > Go to Folder....
2. Create a new file, the filename being whatever you want to call your custom theme, e.g. Bold Colours.xml.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?>
<a:clrScheme xmlns:a="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/drawingml/2006/main" name="Custom">
  <a:dk1><a:srgbClr val="FFFFFF" /></a:dk1>
  <a:lt1><a:srgbClr val="000000" /></a:lt1>
  <a:dk2><a:srgbClr val="525252" /></a:dk2>
  <a:lt2><a:srgbClr val="F4F4F4" /></a:lt2>
  <a:accent1><a:srgbClr val="E56E5E" /></a:accent1>
  <a:accent2><a:srgbClr val="E8B66D" /></a:accent2>
  <a:accent3><a:srgbClr val="5DD4A8" /></a:accent3>
  <a:accent4><a:srgbClr val="6CA9DD" /></a:accent4>
  <a:accent5><a:srgbClr val="A37FDD" /></a:accent5>
  <a:accent6><a:srgbClr val="FF595F" /></a:accent6>
  <a:hlink><a:srgbClr val="75D5FF" /></a:hlink>
  <a:folHlink><a:srgbClr val="75D5FF" /></a:folHlink>
</a:clrScheme>

It’s reasonably self explanatory - main and alternate dark and light colours, six accent colours, and two hyperlink colours (RGB hex). Repeat for additional colour combinations.

Like before, launch PowerPoint and check via the Design ribbon > Variants > Colours drop down.

I don’t recall where I found the original XML template, but I copied the colours off a post by UXDesign.cc “Transform your slides with color” which was the result of an arbitrary Google search, no affiliation.