Import a Color Palette in Excel: Step-by-Step Guide

To import a color palette in Excel for Microsoft 365 on Windows, load an Office theme file (.thmx) using Page Layout > Themes > Browse for Themes. If you have color codes instead of a theme file, create a custom theme palette through Page Layout > Colors > Customize Colors. You can then use the palette in the workbook and save the theme for reuse.

What You’ll Need

Excel for Microsoft 365 on Windows and the workbook where you want the palette.
Either an Office theme file ending in .thmx or the color values you want to use, such as RGB values or hexadecimal codes.
Permission to access the folder containing the theme file. If the workbook is important, save a copy before changing its theme.

A palette in an image, PDF, website, or design-app file is not automatically an Excel theme. Excel’s built-in theme importer is intended for compatible Office theme files. If your source is only a list of colors, use the manual setup below rather than trying to open the image or palette file as a theme.

Step-by-Step

Identify what kind of palette you have. Find the file extension or source before opening Excel. A .thmx file is an Office theme and is the most direct option. It can include theme colors along with fonts and effects, so applying it may change more than the palette. If you have color values written down, such as #2F5597 or RGB values, use the custom-color steps instead. An Adobe .ase file, screenshot, or ordinary image is not a theme file that Excel can import directly. You will need to read or extract its colors and enter them in Excel.
Open the destination workbook and save it. Start Excel, open the workbook, and save a working copy if you need to preserve its current appearance. A theme affects the workbook, not just one selected cell. It may change theme-linked colors in charts, shapes, tables, and formatted cells. Saving a copy gives you a simple way to compare the result or restore the original design without relying on Undo.
Import the .thmx file, if you have one. Select the Page Layout tab. In the Themes group, open Themes and choose Browse for Themes. Browse to the .thmx file, select it, and choose Open. Excel applies the theme to the active workbook. If your ribbon is compact, expand the Themes menu to find the browse command. The imported theme’s colors should now be available in theme-color choices, including the color menus on the Home tab.
Check the applied palette. On Page Layout, open Colors and inspect the available theme colors. You can also open Home > Fill Color or Home > Font Color and look at the Theme Colors section. The theme slots normally include text and background colors, six accents, and hyperlink colors. Hovering over a swatch can show its theme color name. Confirm that the colors match the palette you intended to import before formatting a large range.
Create a palette from color values instead. If you have RGB or hex codes rather than a .thmx file, go to Page Layout > Colors > Customize Colors. In the Create New Theme Colors dialog, select a color slot, such as Accent 1, and choose More Colors. Enter the color using the available RGB controls; if your color picker offers a Hex field, you can enter the hex code there. If it does not, convert the hex code to its red, green, and blue values first. Repeat for each color you need, then give the palette a meaningful name and select Save.
Choose the slots deliberately. Put the colors you expect to use most often in Accent 1 through Accent 6. Set Dark 1, Light 1, Dark 2, and Light 2 to readable text and background colors rather than treating all slots as decorative accents. Set Hyperlink and Followed Hyperlink to colors that remain distinguishable from body text. The slot order matters: Excel and Office features may use the accent colors in sequence, so putting your primary brand color in Accent 1 makes it easy to find.
Save the theme for use in other workbooks. After the custom colors are saved and applied, use Page Layout > Themes > Save Current Theme. Choose a name and folder for the .thmx file. To use the theme in another workbook, open that workbook and repeat Page Layout > Themes > Browse for Themes, then select the saved file. Saving the theme file makes the palette portable; it does not automatically add it to every workbook you open.
Apply the theme colors to your content. Select a cell or range, then use Home > Fill Color or Home > Font Color and choose a swatch from Theme Colors. For a chart or shape, select the object and use its formatting controls to choose a theme color. Check a few representative cells and objects before applying colors across the whole sheet. This confirms that the colors are legible and that you are selecting theme colors rather than a separate set of standard or recently used colors.

Mac and web notes: In Excel for Mac, use the Page Layout tab and look for Themes and Colors; menu wording and the color-picker controls can vary by release. If a Hex field is not available, enter the RGB components. Excel for the web has more limited theme-import and custom-theme controls than the Windows desktop app. If you cannot browse to a .thmx file or define custom theme colors there, open the workbook in the desktop Excel app, apply or create the theme, save the workbook, and then reopen it online.

Common Mistakes

Trying to open a palette image as a theme. Excel’s Browse for Themes command expects a compatible theme file, usually .thmx. A PNG, JPG, PDF, or .ase file will not become an Excel theme just by changing its file name. Extract the color values from the source and create a custom theme instead.
Expecting every existing color to change. A theme change affects items using theme colors, but it does not necessarily replace manually chosen RGB colors or colors from the Standard Colors row. Some formatting may therefore remain unchanged. Reapply colors from Theme Colors where you want the new palette to take effect.
Confusing theme colors with recent colors. The color picker can show theme, standard, and recent colors in separate sections. A color that looks right may not be linked to a theme slot. Choose from Theme Colors if you want the item to follow the workbook theme when that theme changes.
Using contrast colors in the wrong slots. Setting a pale accent as Dark 1, for example, can make text or controls hard to read. Use dark and light slots for backgrounds and text roles, and check contrast on the actual sheet before distributing it.
Assuming a .thmx file contains only colors. Office themes may also define fonts and effects. If you only want the palette and want to preserve the workbook’s typography or visual effects, inspect the result and adjust those settings separately.

Tips

Keep a small reference table in a setup sheet with each color’s name, hex code, RGB values, and intended use. It makes later edits and handoffs more reliable.
Use consistent names for saved themes, such as a project or department name plus a date. Keep the source .thmx file in a shared location if colleagues need the same palette.
Test the palette in a chart, a heading, a filled cell, and a hyperlink. A set of colors that looks attractive in a swatch may be difficult to read when used for small text or thin chart lines.
If you need several brand colors but the six accent slots are not enough, use the theme accents for the most-used colors and apply additional colors manually. Record those extra values so they can be reproduced consistently.
Remember that a custom theme is stored with the workbook when applied, while the separate .thmx file is useful for applying the same theme to other workbooks. Keep both if you need a reusable source and a finished workbook.

Troubleshooting

Browse for Themes is missing: Confirm that you are using the desktop version of Excel, then expand the Themes menu on the Page Layout tab. Ribbon layouts can hide commands when the Excel window is narrow. In Excel for the web, open the workbook in the desktop app if the import option is unavailable.

Excel says the theme file cannot be used: Check that you selected the actual .thmx file and that it is not still inside a compressed ZIP folder. If the file came from another program, it may not be an Office theme even if it contains a palette. Ask for a .thmx version or create the colors manually. A damaged or incomplete file may need to be downloaded or exported again.

The palette appears, but the sheet looks much the same: The existing cells and objects may use fixed colors rather than theme-linked colors. Select an affected item and apply a swatch from the Theme Colors section. Also check whether conditional formatting is setting the displayed fill or font color; those rules can override the color you expect to see.

The entered color looks different from the source: Verify the RGB digits or hex code and check that you entered the value in the intended slot. Hex codes generally represent red, green, and blue pairs; do not include a leading # if the dialog rejects it. Compare the color on the same display and in the same viewing conditions, since screen settings and printing can affect how it appears.

The theme does not appear in another workbook: Themes are not automatically shared across files. Save the current theme as a .thmx file, open the other workbook, and browse to that saved file. If you copied the workbook but not the theme file, locate the original .thmx or save a new copy from the workbook where the theme is applied.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Excel import an Adobe ASE color palette?
Not directly through the Themes menu. Convert or copy the palette’s color values, then enter them with Page Layout > Colors > Customize Colors, or obtain an Office .thmx theme containing the palette.

Can I import colors without changing the workbook’s fonts?
Yes. Create or customize the theme colors and leave the font settings unchanged. If you apply a .thmx theme that includes font choices, check the workbook afterward and restore the fonts if needed.

Will importing a palette recolor every cell automatically?
No. It updates the workbook theme, but cells with manually assigned colors may keep those colors. Apply theme swatches to the cells or objects you want to link to the palette.

Can I use the palette in multiple Excel files?
Yes. Save it as a .thmx theme, then browse for that theme from each workbook using Page Layout > Themes > Browse for Themes.

Where do I find imported colors after applying a theme?
Look under Theme Colors in the Page Layout > Colors menu or in the Home > Fill Color and Home > Font Color menus. The imported palette may appear alongside the workbook’s other theme controls.

Try it: the Date Difference Calculator: days, months, years and weekdays between two dates, with the DATEDIF formulas.

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Sources: Function behaviour and menu paths: Microsoft Support documentation for Excel. Method & sources

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