Office 2007: How To Change the Color Scheme

Contributor Icon Contributed by shamanstears Date Icon November 15, 2006  
Tag Icon Tagged: Microsoft Office

You can change the color scheme of the Microsoft Office 2007 applications so that they better match your existing desktop theme. To do this, follow this tech recipe:


1. Open up one of the Office applications (if you are going to use Outlook, then you will need to access a new message window).

2. Click on the big round Office Button in the upper left corner.

3. In the lower right corner, click the Options button.

4. In the left pane, select Popular.

5. In the right pane, use the Color scheme dropdown to select the desired scheme (blue, silver, or black).

6. Click OK.

Previous recipe | Next recipe |
 
  • Shaw
    Thanks, just what I was looking for!
  • Christina Hampton
    I want the ability to change these colors as I see fit. The color schemes you have hurt my eyes terribly. Black is acceptable, but just barely.

    thank you.
  • Christina Hampton
    Sorry, changed windows without realizing it, I thought I was on the Microsoft page.

    The information you have was what I was looking for, but Microsoft fell short of what I wanted.
  • stephan helgesen
    How do you do it if you are running Outlook as a standalone product (and there is no 'Office' button?
    Regards,
    Stephan Helgesen
  • Create a new email message. When the New Message window appears, you will have an Office button to select.
  • saad
    thank you very very much for your tip.
  • Bomarc
    This is not useful. Office is using non-standard colors, and one can NOT tell the difference between active and non active windows. How do I get the colors to match the "Windows" standard that I've selected? (65 million colors, and you can choose THREE)
  • midiman
    You mean Outlook is not useful. The post is very useful.
    If anyone knows a way to customize/add to the increbibly diverse choice of three colors, that would be great.
  • ecc
    Bomarc,
    did you ever get an answer to your question? I'd also like to have Office 2007 use the standard Windows XP colors like every other program does. In addition to not being able to (easily) tell the difference in active and inactive windows, their titles and borders look very similar to the background (i.e., when a spreadsheet is not maximized in Excel).
  • Marie
    Got as far as clicking on the "Editor" Options button, Popular is a choice in the left hand pane but is grayed out. The only button available is "Customize." I hate Microsoft, what was wrong with the old Outlook scheme?
  • Hasan Awae
    Is there any other color more then (blue, silver, or black)?
  • TonyS
    I'm with Christina Hampton. Also, In addition to the inability to change the contrast between an active and inactive window, the Vista style borders with the sheen, reflective look, obscures the borders of the office windows entirely. I constantly click what I think is the border of the office window I want, only to bring forward the window behind it.
  • Paul
    Thank you! The light blue was somehow disturbing.
  • Casper
    Thanks..:)
  • Jukka
    The scheme of the "active" window should have more contrast to other windows. In my eyes "black" is the easiest to use, even though it's not nice...
blog comments powered by Disqus