How to Change Table Design in PowerPoint: A Complete Guide

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Trish Dixon

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Are you looking to change the design of a table in PowerPoint to make your presentation more visually appealing and engaging? PowerPoint provides a variety of options to easily modify the look of tables, allowing you to match them to your overall presentation theme and style.

In this article, we’ll walk through the steps to change table design, colors, styles and options in PowerPoint, so you can create professional-looking tables that effectively communicate your data and ideas to your audience.

Table of contents

Why Change Table Design in PowerPoint?

Tables are a great way to present data, compare information, or summarize key points in a clear and organized way within PowerPoint slides. However, the default table styles in PowerPoint can sometimes look plain or may not fit the aesthetic of your presentation. Changing the design of your tables can help to:

  • Make your tables more visually appealing and engaging
  • Ensure consistency in style across your presentation
  • Draw attention to important data or key insights
  • Improve the overall professional look of your slides

Learning how to modify table design is a valuable skill that can take your PowerPoint presentations to the next level.

How to Change Table Style in PowerPoint

One of the quickest ways to change the look of a table is to apply a predefined table style. PowerPoint offers a gallery of styles that you can choose from to instantly format your table. Here’s how:

  1. Click on your table to select it
  2. Go to the Table Design tab in the PowerPoint ribbon
  3. In the Table Styles group, click the More arrow to expand the gallery of table styles
  4. Hover your mouse over the various styles to see a live preview of how your table would look
  5. Click on a style to apply it to your selected table

The table styles in PowerPoint come in a variety of color schemes, shading options, and accent formats, making it easy to find one that fits your needs. You can also modify individual table elements after applying a style.

Customizing Table Style Options

To further customize your table’s appearance after applying a style, you can modify the Table Style Options. These allow you to toggle specific style elements on or off. Here’s how:

1. With your table selected, go to the Table Design tab

2. Locate the Table Style Options group

3. Click to check or uncheck the boxes for the various options:

  • Header Row
  • Total Row
  • Banded Rows
  • First Column
  • Last Column
  • Banded Columns

4. As you check/uncheck the options, you’ll see the table style update in real-time

Feel free to experiment with different combinations of these options to fine-tune the look of your table and make different elements stand out.

How to Change Table Colors in PowerPoint

Another way to customize the look of your table is to change its color scheme. You can either apply colors from your presentation’s theme or choose your own custom color palette. Here are the steps:

Applying Table Theme Colors

  1. Select your table
  2. Go to the Table Design tab
  3. In the Table Styles group, click the arrow next to Shading
  4. Choose Theme Colors from the dropdown menu
  5. Select a color scheme from the palette that appears

The theme colors come from the overall color palette of your PowerPoint presentation, helping to ensure your table matches your theme.

Choosing Custom Table Colors

  1. Select your table
  2. Go to the Table Design tab
  3. In the Table Styles group, click the arrow next to Shading
  4. This time, choose Standard Colors or More Colors from the dropdown
  5. From the Standard Colors palette, simply click on a color to apply it
  6. If you click More Colors, the Colors dialog box will appear, allowing you to select any custom color you want for your table shading

With these options, you can create a table color scheme that perfectly matches your brand, the content of your presentation, or your own personal style preferences.

Modifying Individual Table Elements

In some cases, you may want to change the look of specific parts of your table, such as particular rows, columns or cells. PowerPoint allows you to easily modify the shading, borders, and other formatting of individual table elements.

Shading Individual Table Cells

  1. Select the cell(s) you want to shade by clicking and dragging
  2. Go to the Table Design tab
  3. In the Table Styles group, click Shading
  4. Choose a color from the Theme Colors, Standard Colors, or More Colors options

Use this to highlight important cells or create visual separation between different parts of your table.

Customizing Cell Borders

1. Select the cell(s) for which you want to change borders

2. Go to the Table Design tab

3. In the Borders group, click the arrow next to Borders

4. Select a border style:

  • No Border removes cell borders
  • All Borders applies borders to all sides of selected cells
  • Outside Borders applies borders to outer edges only
  • Inside Borders applies borders between selected cells

5. To further customize, click Line Style, Line Weight, and Pen Color to modify the look of borders

Getting creative with borders can help to define the structure and flow of your table information.

Formatting Text Within Table Cells

1. Select the cell(s) with text you want to format

2. Use commands in the Font group on the Home tab:

  • Change font face, size, color, or style attributes (bold, italic, etc.)
  • Use the Paragraph settings to align text left, center, or right within cells

3. For more options, right-click and select Format Cells

    • In this dialog box, you can set custom cell margins, text direction, and more

    Formatting the text within your table cells lets you emphasize certain data points or adapt the style to match the rest of your presentation content.

    Best Practices for Designing Tables in PowerPoint

    When changing the design of tables in PowerPoint, keep these tips in mind:

    • Keep it simple: Avoid overly complex table styles or color schemes that distract from your data. The styling should enhance your content, not compete with it.
    • Use colors purposefully: Colors can be used to categorize information, highlight key data points, or show connections between cells. Be intentional in your color choices.
    • Ensure readability: Make sure any style changes you make don’t negatively impact the readability of the information within your table. Use clear fonts, appropriate sizes, and enough contrast between text and shading.
    • Maintain consistency: If using multiple tables in a presentation, aim to keep their styling consistent for a polished, professional look. Establish a table style that works for your content and apply it throughout.
    • Consider accessibility: For audience members with visual impairments, using high contrast color schemes and legible fonts is especially important in table design.

    Final Thoughts

    The ability to change table design in PowerPoint is a powerful skill that can significantly improve the impact and clarity of your presentations. By applying a variety of styles, colors, and formatting options to your tables, you can create visuals that are engaging, easy to understand, and optimally suited to your content.

    The techniques covered in this article provide a strong foundation for designing great tables in PowerPoint. Get creative, follow best practices, and don’t hesitate to take advantage of the many styling options and resources available in PowerPoint itself and through external template sources.

    FAQs

    How do I apply a predefined table style in PowerPoint?

    To apply a predefined table style in PowerPoint, click on your table to select it, go to the Table Design tab in the PowerPoint ribbon, expand the gallery of table styles, hover over the various styles to see a live preview, and click on a style to apply it.

    Can I change the colors of my table to match my presentation theme?

    Yes, you can change the colors of your table to match your presentation theme. Select your table, go to the Table Design tab, click the arrow next to Shading in the Table Styles group, and choose Theme Colors from the dropdown menu. Then, select a color scheme from the palette that appears.

    How can I modify the look of specific parts of my table, like particular rows or cells?

    PowerPoint allows you to modify the shading, borders, and other formatting of individual table elements. Select the specific cells you want to modify, then use the options in the Table Design tab to change the shading color, border style, or text formatting within those cells.

    What are some best practices for designing tables in PowerPoint?

    Some best practices include keeping the table style simple, using colors purposefully, ensuring readability, maintaining consistency across multiple tables in a presentation, and considering accessibility for audience members with visual impairments.

    Where can I find PowerPoint table templates and design inspiration?

    You can find PowerPoint table templates and design inspiration from various sources, including Microsoft Office Templates, SlideModel, Envato Elements, and by searching for “PowerPoint table design” on Pinterest. These resources offer a wide selection of predesigned tables that you can use as a starting point and further customize.

    Trish Dixon
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