Changing Colors with Themes

If you're using one of Brilliant Assessment's Starter Templates, all elements of your feedback report are connected to a theme color, making customization efficient.

Accessing Themes in Microsoft Word

Every starter template has a theme associated with it. This is embedded in the template when you download it. To see the theme:

1. Open your template in Microsoft Word.
2. Navigate to the Design tab in the ribbon menu.
3. Under Themes, you’ll see the theme currently applied to your Template.
   • If your organization has a branded theme, it might appear here.
   • If not, you can use Word’s default themes or create a custom color scheme.

Themes can be used to control default styles in your template.

Updating the colors

Method One: Changing the Colors Using Default Color Schemes

Color collections or schemes, can be useful for updating the colors across your template quickly. Using the default colors in Word is the fastest way to do this.

1. In the Design tab, click on Colors.
2. Here, you’ll find:
   • Built-in color schemes provided by Word.
   • Custom colors created for your theme.
3. Under Colors, select a palette from the built-in options.
   • For example, selecting the Blue-Green palette will automatically update all elements in the template to match.
   • Choose another palette to see instant updates again.

Method Two: Customizing Theme Colors for Precise Branding

To add your own brand colors and swatches to the template:

1. In the Design tab, click on Colors
2. Right-click on the theme’s color scheme and choose Edit Colors.
3. The color palette editor will open.
4. From here, you can:
   • Enter HEX codes for precise brand color matching.
   • Use the Eyedropper Tool to select colors directly from your website or brand guidelines.

Adjusting Page Background Color

To change or remove the background color:

1. Go to Page Color in the Design tab.
2. Select a color or choose No Color to remove the background.
3. This can be helpful if you plan to print the document.

A Note on Accessibility

If you adjust the background color, ensure the text color and styles are updated for readability. This includes making sure there’s sufficient contrast between text and background. We recommend using an online contrast checker that is WCAG AA compliant to test your choices.

Final Tips for Professional Results

• Always make color changes through the theme settings for consistency.
• Ensure styles and colors work well together for a polished, professional look.

You’re all set! With these steps, you can easily update and customize colors in your Starter Template or other report templates, ensuring they align with your brand and accessibility standards.