How to find and apply custom colorschemes by name in PowerPoint using VBA?

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How to find and apply custom colorschemes by name in PowerPoint using VBA?

Robin Bouwmeester 46

In PowerPoint users can add and apply custom color schemes on a slide.

Pick a colorscheme from theme

How can I programmatically set and apply a colorscheme by name 'Custom 2' using VBA?

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/office/vba/api/powerpoint.colorschemes

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Answer 1

John Korchok 6,126 Volunteer Moderator

ColorSchemes is only there for backward compatibility. In Office 2007 and later, you would use ThemeColorScheme.Load. That command requires the complete path to the color theme, which will include your username. So you would need to use VBA to get that information:

Sub SetColorTheme()
    strFilePath = Environ("APPDATA") & "\Microsoft\Templates\Document Themes\Theme Colors\"
    ActivePresentation.Designs(1).slideMaster.CustomLayouts(1).ThemeColorScheme.Load (strFilePath & "Custom 2.xml")
End Sub

Robin Bouwmeester 46 Reputation points

2025-05-14T16:24:01.1866667+00:00
@John Korchok Thanks for the code snippet, that would give and set the custom user color themes by name. Do you also have an idea how to get to the color schemes which are in 'this' presentation by name? https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/office/vba/api/powerpoint.colorscheme

It seems there is no way to add and retrieve the color schemes by name programmatically. In the POTX file schemes can be added by name:

<a:extraClrSchemeLst> <a:extraClrScheme> <a:clrScheme name="Custom"> <a:dk1> <a:srgbClr val="000000" />
John Korchok 6,126 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2025-05-15T12:27:30.0366667+00:00

Sorry, I don't see a way to get the current color theme name with VBA.
Robin Bouwmeester 46 Reputation points

2025-05-15T12:44:21.9066667+00:00

Thanks for the confirmation

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How to find and apply custom colorschemes by name in PowerPoint using VBA?

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