Before the Deck: Creating Your Color Palette in PowerPoint
This edition marks the first in a special five-email Before the Deck series that focuses on a framework that will help you take control of your slide designs. Today’s topic: COLOR!
The right color combinations in your presentation create visual harmony, guide your audience’s focus, and amplify your narrative—ensuring your message lands with unmistakable impact.
More than just a visual choice, color shapes how your message is received. It sets the emotional tone, reinforces your brand identity, and brings your presentation to life—your brand in motion.
Before the Deck: Two Key Decisions.
When developing your PowerPoint decks, there are two essential layers to consider: your theme color palette and your presentation-specific color choices. While both are essential, each serves a distinct role in shaping how your slides come together.
The first decision is functional and technical, laying the groundwork. The second is purposeful, aesthetic, and tactical. Understanding this distinction helps build a foundation for cohesive, intentional design before you even start creating slides—saving you time and creative energy!
PowerPoint Theme Color Palette.
PowerPoint’s theme palette provides the technical foundation for your design. It includes:
4 Background colors*
6 Accent colors*
These theme colors influence more than just slide backgrounds and text. They impact shapes, graphics, SmartArt, and even images, ensuring visual consistency throughout your entire presentation.
Selecting your theme palette is a critical step but you don’t have to navigate it alone. It’s in this Before the Deck phase, where Branding Strategists and Graphic Designers are your BFFs. There are also fantastic online tools available (you’ll find a few in the Resources section below) to help you along the way.
*PowerPoint automatically generates 5 shades for each core color
This SmartArt flower is an example of the six accents (and one background) in the BtD PowerPoint Theme Palette.
Presentation-Specific Color Choices.
Selecting your theme palette is just the beginning. The true visual harmony of your slide designs evolves through intentional color choices, creating a cohesive flow through each individual slide.
This involves thoughtfully deciding which accent colors are the best choice for this particular presentation. While PowerPoint’s theme palette provides numerous options, focus is essential. Here, your understanding of the presentation’s narrative, your audience, and your shared goals come together. It’s also where you can infuse a bit of creative flair!
SETTING & STYLE.
Remember the above framework from the last Beyond the Deck?
Before finalizing your color choices, take a moment to step back and consider two critical factors: Setting and Style. They’re at the core of your presentation development process, and they directly shape how your audience experiences your design.
It boils down to these two essential questions:
⊶ What is the setting or venue for your presentation (live or virtual)?
⊶ What style of presentation are you building (who is your audience)?
Setting.
The setting of your presentation defines the environment in which your message will be delivered and received. Taking this into account intentionally will help you make clearer, more effective color choices.
Live Settings
Not all live venues are created equal. Factors like room size and lighting impact how your colors appear on screen. In larger spaces, you’ll need greater contrast to ensure legibility and impact, particularly in rooms with variable lighting. Dark backgrounds with light text work well here.
Virtual Settings
For virtual presentations, colors behave differently on screens. Lighter backgrounds with dark text tend to be more comfortable for viewers, especially during long sessions. Ensuring that colors don’t appear washed out across different devices is key to keeping your audience engaged.
Hybrid Settings
Hybrid settings— where some attendees are live and others are virtual—require a balanced approach. Prioritize the live setting but test to ensure your colors remain sharp for virtual audiences. Consider where the majority of your audience will be viewing from to refine your approach.
In every presentation, strong contrast between your background and text is essential for readability and visual accessibility. To ensure your slides are easy to read, consider using an accessibility tool to check for contrast—newer versions of PowerPoint include this feature.
Style.
There are three key audience archetypes for your presentation. Grouping presentations into corporate, minimalist, or interactive styles can help you focus in on your color palette and ensure your design aligns with your messaging.
Corporate Presentations
Corporate color palettes should align with branding and are often more reserved. However, don’t be afraid to take calculated risks within the brand’s guidelines. Strategic use of bold colors can convey modernity and innovation, while still maintaining professionalism.
Minimalist Designs
For minimalist presentations, simplicity is the driving force. High-contrast color palettes paired with ample white space direct attention to your content. Stick to one or two accent colors to preserve clarity and keep the design clean.
Workshop/Interactive Presentations
In workshops and interactive sessions, engagement is key. Feel free to experiment with bold, dynamic colors like orange, purple, or green. These shades add energy, foster participation, and emphasize important points.
These three styles are not rigid. They offer a lens through which to consider your audience and how color can shape your presentation story. Ultimately, your palette should anchor your slides, creating a visual framework reinforcing your message. Don’t forget to have fun with it!
DETAILS.
When working with longer presentations or complex topics, color takes on added layers of importance. It helps you organize information, keeps your audience engaged, and ensures clarity across multiple sections.
Presentation Length: Bringing in More Colors
In longer presentations, incorporating additional accent colors can be a strategic choice. A useful approach is to color-code by section, assigning specific hues to different parts of your presentation. These visual markers guide your audience through the material, breaking up the content and helping them mentally organize the information.
Complex or Detailed Topics: Assigning Color Meaning
For complex topics, assigning specific colors to key elements—such as takeaways, areas of focus, or action items—can make it easier for your audience to navigate the content. Consistent color associations create structure and enable viewers to quickly grasp important points, even when dealing with more detailed information.
Plan Your VisionAs you craft your PowerPoint palette, remember that color isn’t just about aesthetics—it’s a strategic tool that influences how your audience connects with your message. By considering your setting, style, and audience ahead of time, you’ll be better equipped to create a palette that aligns with both your brand and your presentation environment.
Take the time to experiment with different combinations before diving into slide design. As you begin building your deck, your ideas may shift. Think of color as a flexible tool that evolves alongside your content and your connection to the design process.
Above all, have a little fun with it. Joy is the most important element in the design process!
Resources.
A few resources to help you develop your presentation colorscape:
⊶ Katelyn Bourgoin’s newsletter on color psychology
⊶ Sarah Renae Clark’s (digital) Color Catalog
⊶ Coolors
Note: None of these resources are affiliate links.
Until Next Time...
Your slides are more than just visuals—they’re a direct extension of your brand’s voice. And while color helps set the tone, typography is what gives your message a voice.
The right font choices not only support readability, but also reinforce the emotional tone of your presentation.
In the next edition of Beyond the Deck, we’re diving into the art of typography. From font selection to text hierarchy, we’ll explore how you can bring your presentation’s narrative to life—one character at a time.
Thank you for joining me 🤍!