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Custom Tables in PowerPoint?

Anonymous
2019-03-21T00:39:16+00:00

Is there still, as of PPT 2016, no way to set up a custom table style (i.e. border colors and thickness) and have it saved in the Table Styles dropdown, perhaps along with your Theme? So for instance, if someone sends you a table from another presentation file, you could copy it into your deck and auto-apply your custom table style using the dropdown? And vice-versa if you sent to them, they could do the same?

Picture a table with green text in the header row (no fill), a thick green border at the bottom of the header row, and the rows underneath all have grey dotted lines between them horizontally, but no lines between cells vertically. It's custom, and none of the auto dropdowns are close.

Do I have to be a VBA programmer to make this work, and have it stay with a template/theme in the dropdowns for others to apply to their own tables?

I wish PowerPoint would add this feature. 

Thanks for any feedback, kind folks!

Microsoft 365 and Office | PowerPoint | For home | Windows

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  1. Anonymous
    2019-03-21T08:35:24+00:00

    I've never understood why MSFT don't see that companies really need to be able to set default CUSTOM tables. (I already voted)

    As JohnK says (and the site is great) you can add XML to your template to do this but... (might be a big BUT)

    The XML is complex.

    openXML is VERY unforgiving, tiny mistakes can break it.

    There are restrictions to what is possible in the custom table (though yours would probably work)

    It is much easier to use a proper XML editor like XMLSpy or Visual Studio with the openXML AddIn than unzip and notepad. Unless you can find 'VS2013 Community' these proper editors are both very expensive.

    Lastly the XML only works if you open the resulting potx file NOT if you apply it to an existing presentation.

    I'm not looking for business and I don't think JohnK is either but just be aware that it is not that easy unless you already are aware of how openXML works.

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  2. John Korchok 231.6K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2019-03-21T00:46:10+00:00

    You have to be an XML Hacker to create them. Here are my how-to articles on this subject: XML Hacking: Custom Table Styles and XML Hacking: Table Styles Complete

    Here's a PowerPoint User Voice suggestion to add this feature: Introduce Saving a Table Template in PowerPoint You can add your vote to increase the likelihood of Microsoft programming this in a future version.

    5 people found this answer helpful.
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  3. Anonymous
    2019-03-21T15:53:58+00:00

    thanks John. I voted. It's amazing this is not already a feature. Seems pretty rudimentary, something that would be extremely useful for many users and companies.

    2 people found this answer helpful.
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  4. Anonymous
    2019-03-21T16:40:14+00:00

    I just happen to have a sample that is not a million miles from what you asked.

    http://www.pptalchemy.co.uk/Downloads/Table style.potx

    Just Insert a table.

    1 person found this answer helpful.
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  5. Anonymous
    2019-03-21T15:54:21+00:00

    thank you for your feedback John!

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