Google Slides color picker

Built-in color tools are used in Google Slides presentations to preserve visual consistency and format slide elements according to a specific brand identity. In Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides, the colors of text, objects, table cells, and slide backgrounds can be chosen from predefined palettes or customized directly using HEX codes, RGB values, or an eyedropper tool that samples colors from your screen. These technical functions are officially documented in the Google Change the color of text, objects, and backgrounds help guide. In this guide, you can find how Google Slides color picker tools work, supported formats, and steps to maintain color harmony across your presentation.

Overview of the Google Slides Color Palette and Color Picker

When you want to change an element's color in Google Slides, the menu that opens features preset theme colors, a standard palette, and a custom color creation area. While preset colors provide the core tones of the presentation theme, custom color tools are used to match corporate brand standards or ensure an exact match with an image on a slide. According to official documentation, once a custom color is created in a file, it is saved within that file and can be reused anywhere in that file.

To respect typography hierarchy and readability standards while preparing slides, you can also benefit from the core design principles in our readable fonts for Google Slides guide.

Text Color and Text Highlight Settings

Adjusting the color of text or its highlight strip directly determines readability and information hierarchy on slides:

1. On your computer, open a presentation file in Google Slides.
2. Select and highlight the text area you want to change using your mouse.
3. To change the text color, click the Text color icon on the toolbar.
4. To add a highlight behind the text, click the Highlight color icon on the toolbar. According to Google documentation, this text highlight option is only available in Google Docs and Google Slides.
5. Select a preset color from the menu that opens, or proceed to the custom color creation step.

Coloring Text Boxes, Shapes, and Table Cells

The colors of visual boxes, drawings, and table cells on a slide are managed directly using the fill and border tools on the toolbar:

1. Click the text box or shape you want to edit, or select the table cells.
2. To change the interior fill color of the box or cells, click the Fill color icon on the toolbar.
3. To set the border color of the respective box or cells, click the Border color icon on the toolbar.
4. Choose a preset color from the menu that opens, or define a custom color.

Defining Custom Colors with HEX and RGB Values

Numerical color values can be entered to apply a specific corporate color code exactly:

1. On your computer, open the Google Slides file.
2. Click Text color, Fill color, or any tool on the toolbar that features color options.
3. In the window that opens, click the "Add a custom color" (+) button located under the "Custom" heading.
4. In the dialog box that appears, enter the HEX code of the color you want or its RGB values consisting of red, green, and blue components into the field.
5. Click the OK button to complete the process.

This created custom shade is saved into the file's memory and can be selected quickly on other objects across the presentation.

Guidelines for Sampling Colors from the Screen with the Eyedropper Tool

The eyedropper tool is used to pick an exact color from a logo, image, or directly from the screen embedded in the slide:

1. On your computer, open the Google Slides presentation. According to the official help document, the eyedropper tool feature is supported on Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge browsers.
2. Select the object or text whose color you want to change.
3. Click Text color, Fill color, or any tool providing color options on the toolbar.
4. Click the "Pick a custom color" (eyedropper) icon under the "Custom" section.
5. Using the eyedropper tool, click on any color on your screen.

The code of your selected color is applied to the element automatically. For steps on color matching, you can check our review of the Google Slides eyedropper tool and color matching.

Slide Background Color and Transparency Settings

The background is the image or color behind your slide's content. The background color can be set for only a single slide or for all slides in the presentation:

1. On your computer, open the Google Slides presentation and select a slide.
2. In the top menu, follow the Slide > Change background path.
3. Click the color box to the right of the "Color" option and choose a color.
4. To add your own color, click the Add (+) icon under the "Custom" heading.
5. In this area, you can choose a HEX code directly, or manually adjust color, hue, and transparency settings. Then click OK.
6. Click Done to apply the color only to the current slide, or click Add to theme to spread it across all slides in the presentation. These configuration steps are explained in the official Google Slides Change the theme or background help guide resource.

Editing Theme Colors and Importing Themes

To achieve a consistent corporate appearance throughout the presentation, the theme's core color palette can be customized or a theme can be imported from a different file:

1. Editing theme colors: From the top menu, choose the Slide > Edit theme path and click the Colors option on the toolbar. In the right panel, select the theme color you want to edit from the drop-down menu under "Theme colors". For a preset color, click the colors under "Default". To customize the color, click the multicolored square or enter a HEX value directly. Additionally, the transparency of each color can be adjusted from this panel.
2. Importing a new theme: You can import a new theme for your presentation from an existing Google Slides presentation, a PowerPoint presentation, or your own image. To do this, follow the Slide > Change theme path, click the Import theme button at the bottom right, select the presentation you want to use, and confirm.

Practical Scenario: Applying a Corporate Color Palette

In the fictional scenario below, transferring designated corporate color values onto slide elements is modeled:

Scenario: In the brand guidelines of the hypothetical firm "Atlas Technology", the primary color is defined as #1A365D (Dark Blue), and the secondary accent color is defined as #319795 (Teal).

Step 1: Place a text box and a rectangular shape on the slide. Step 2: Select the rectangle, click the Fill color button on the toolbar, and press the (+) icon under "Custom". Step 3: Set the background fill by typing 1A365D into the HEX field and pressing OK. Step 4: Select the headline in the text box, enter the value 319795 into the HEX field via the (+) icon in the Text color menu, and click OK. Step 5: To spread the background across the entire slide deck, open the Color box from the Slide > Change background menu, select the corresponding tone, and update the entire presentation by pressing the Add to theme button.

Troubleshooting and Verification Checklist

Technical checks for situations you might encounter while working in the color picker interface:

1. The eyedropper tool is not in the menu: According to official technical documents, the eyedropper feature is supported on Chrome and Edge browsers. If you are working in a different browser, you must enter colors manually using HEX or RGB codes.
2. Custom colors do not appear in another presentation: Custom colors are saved only within the file where they were created. To use the same colors in a new file, you must re-enter the codes or import the theme into the new presentation via the Slide > Change theme > Import theme method.
3. The wrong pixel color is sampled: When sampling across the screen with the eyedropper, ensure you click on a solid-tone pixel rather than shadowed or pixelated areas in the image.

Final checklist: - Has sufficient contrast between text and background been ensured? - Were HEX or RGB values entered without error when creating the custom color? - Has it been confirmed that the Chrome or Edge browser is being used for the eyedropper tool? - Was the Add to theme button clicked so the background color covers the entire presentation?

Which color formats are directly supported in the Google Slides color picker?

HEX codes and RGB values are supported directly in the Google Slides custom color creation menu. Color, hue, and transparency settings can also be adjusted in the background and theme color editing panels.

Does a custom color created in a presentation appear automatically in other Google Slides files?

No. According to official support documents, a custom color created is saved only within the relevant file and can be used anywhere in that file. To use it in another file, you must re-enter the HEX or RGB codes, or import the theme into that presentation.