How to Change Text Color in Google Slides

To change text color in Google Slides on a computer, select the characters you want to recolor, click Text color in the toolbar, and choose a color. Repeat for portions of text that need different colors. For an exact shade, enter a HEX code or RGB values through the custom color option.

Select text and choose a preset color

Open your presentation in the Google Slides web editor with editing access, then select the characters you want to change. Click Text color in the toolbar and choose a preset color from the palette. You can use these steps with a personal Google account or a Google Workspace account.

To give different portions of text different colors, select each portion separately and repeat the steps. Make each selection before choosing its color so the shade applies to the intended characters.

Choose an exact shade or sample a color

Select the text, click Text color, and under Custom, click Add a custom color. Enter the Hex code or RGB values, then click OK. Use this option when you already have the values for the color you want.

To match a color visible on your screen, use the built-in eyedropper in Chrome or Microsoft Edge on a computer. With the text selected, click Text color, then under Custom, click Pick a custom color. Click the desired color anywhere on your screen with the eyedropper.

If you are using another browser, choose a preset or enter the color values through Add a custom color. Entering HEX or RGB values lets you specify the shade without sampling it from the screen.

Apply a named color with the keyboard

For list text, you can use menu search to apply a named color. Focus the text-containing element on the slide canvas, then press Alt + / on Windows or ChromeOS, or Option + / on macOS. Type a color name, such as red.

Press Down Arrow to find the Text color result for that color, then press Enter. Choose the result carefully because similarly named Fill color, Border color, and Highlight color results can also appear.

Copy a color from existing text

If another piece of text already has the formatting you want, select that source text and click Paint format in the toolbar. Select the destination text to apply the formatting. This copies other formatting along with the color, so use it when you want to match more than the shade.

For several destinations, select the source text and double-click Paint format. Select the destination text in each place you want to format. Click Paint format again when you finish.

On Windows or ChromeOS, you can instead select the source text and press Ctrl + Alt + C. Select the destination text and press Ctrl + Alt + V. These shortcuts copy other text formatting along with the color.

On Mac, select the source text and press Command + Option + C. Select the destination text, then press Command + Option + V to paste the formatting.

Change text colors through the presentation theme

To change a color used by theme-linked text, open Slide > Edit theme > Colors on a computer. Under Theme colors, choose the color entry to modify. Choose a swatch under Default, click in the multicolored square, or enter a hex value.

To change inherited placeholder colors, open View > Theme builder and select the theme or layout template slide you want to edit. Select its placeholder text, click Text color, and choose a color. Click Close above the slide when you finish, and repeat for layouts with their own formatting.

For a broader design change, click Slide > Change theme and select a theme. To import one instead, click Import theme, double-click the source presentation, choose its theme, and click Import theme. Theme changes also affect fonts, backgrounds, and layouts, so choose this route when you want those changes along with theme-controlled text colors.

Fix text that keeps its old color

If a theme palette change leaves some text unchanged, that text may have an independently assigned color. Select the affected characters, click Text color, and choose the desired shade directly. Changing a theme color updates uses of that color, but does not reliably replace independently assigned text colors.

If you changed placeholder text through Theme builder, repeat the change for layouts with their own formatting. Direct formatting can also override inherited placeholder colors. For text that still keeps its old color, select it and apply the color through Text color.

Change theme colors on a phone or tablet

On Android, open the presentation in the Google Slides app and double-tap a slide. At the top right, tap More > Change theme, then tap the desired theme. This changes the presentation theme, including its theme-controlled colors.

On iPhone or iPad, open the presentation in the Google Slides app. At the top right, tap More > Change theme, then tap the desired theme. Both mobile paths change the presentation theme rather than targeting selected characters.

Adjust lettering in a Gemini slide image

On desktop, you can use Gemini's slide-image generation beta to change lettering within a generated image. You need an eligible Google Workspace or Google AI plan, or Google Workspace Experiments access. The result is an image of a slide, rather than a color change to an existing editable text run.

Select a slide, then click Insert > Help me visualize > Slide. Describe the slide and click Create. To revise the title color, enter Google's example prompt:

Update the title header to be a lighter shade of blue and underline it.

Select the resulting image and click Insert as new slide. That prompt requests both a lighter blue title and an underline.

Automate text color changes

For scripted changes, you can use Google Apps Script to apply a foreground color to a target shape or table-cell text range. This requires scripting and authorized presentation access. After obtaining the intended TextRange as textRange, apply this statement to make that range red:

textRange.getTextStyle().setForegroundColor('#ff0000')

Repeat the operation over the intended ranges for bulk changes. Each range identifies the text that receives the new color.

For an authenticated application or integration with presentation editing access, use the Slides API. Send an UpdateTextStyleRequest through presentations.batchUpdate, identify the target object and text range, and set style.foregroundColor to the desired color. Use foregroundColor as the field mask and submit a request for each range that should change.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you reuse a custom text color elsewhere in the presentation?

Yes, Google says custom colors remain available elsewhere in the same file. You can reuse a shade after adding it.

Can you import a theme from a PowerPoint presentation?

Yes, you can use a PowerPoint presentation as the source when importing a theme. Theme importing supports both Google Slides and PowerPoint presentations.

What replaced Master view in Google Slides?

Google renamed Master view to Theme builder. If you are following older instructions that mention Master view, open View > Theme builder.

Can Apps Script change the color of hyperlink text?

Yes, you can set a hyperlink's text color with Apps Script. Google's example adds the hyperlink first, then sets its color.