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Writer's pictureJill Singleton
Apr 11, 20233 min read

Power Up Your Power BI Reports with Custom Themes - How To Create Custom Themes in Power BI 📊

Updated: Dec 9, 2023



Welcome to the Iamdata Solutions Asset Management Monthly Newsletter - April 2023



Following on from my previous blog post, 'Power BI Reports Beauty or Functionality? Do Looks Matter or is it What's on the Inside That Counts?', I’ve been asked to show how I created the theme in Power BI Desktop.


So, here's how I go about creating my custom themes in Power BI.


What are Custom Themes in Power BI?


Themes are sets of formatting settings that you can apply to your report, making it easy to maintain a consistent visual style across all of your visualisations.


Applying a Custom Theme to Power BI Reports Description: A screenshot of the Power BI desktop application with a custom theme being applied to a report, featuring a preview of the report with the new colours and styles. Designing Power BI Themes for Your Brand Description: An image of a designer working on a custom Power BI theme, using a colour picker tool and adjusting font sizes and styles. Creating a Consistent Look and Feel with Power BI Themes Description: A screenshot of a Power BI report with a custom theme applied, featuring a colour scheme and font styles that match the branding of a company or organization.

Adobe Color


Before I begin to create a custom theme in for my Power BI Report, I first find the colours I need in Adobe Color.


Adobe Color is an online tool developed by Adobe Systems that allows users to create, save, and share color schemes or color palettes for use in graphic design, web design, and other visual projects. The tool helps users to choose and explore colors by generating a range of harmonious color combinations based on color rules, such as monochromatic, complementary, analogous, and triadic. Users can also upload an image to extract colors from it, or use a pre-existing color scheme as a starting point. The tool is free to use and accessible via web browsers or Adobe Creative Cloud applications. I use it to create custom Power BI Themes.


Just select your file and Adobe Color will provide you with a colour pallet that matches the colours in your image.


Adobe Color is an online tool developed by Adobe Systems that allows users to create, save, and share color schemes or color palettes for use in graphic design, web design, and other visual projects. The tool helps users to choose and explore colors by generating a range of harmonious color combinations based on color rules, such as monochromatic, complementary, analogous, and triadic. Users can also upload an image to extract colors from it, or use a pre-existing color scheme as a starting point. The tool is free to use and accessible via web browsers or Adobe Creative Cloud applications. I use it to create custom themes in Power BI.

Make a note of the colour codes to reference when you build your Power BI Customised Theme.


Create a Customised Theme in Power BI Desktop.


Step 1: Create a new report or open an existing report that you want to apply your theme to.


Step 2: Click on the ‘View’ tab. On the top ribbon, click on the ‘View’ tab to access the themes options.


Step 3: Click on ‘Themes’ in the ‘Visualisations’ group, and then select ‘Custom theme.’


Power BI custom themes refer to the ability to customize the visual appearance of a Power BI report or dashboard beyond the default settings provided by the software. With custom themes, users can create and apply their own unique color schemes, fonts, and other design elements to Power BI reports, making them more visually appealing and aligned with their branding or personal preferences. Themes in Power BI are defined using JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) files, which allow users to specify the desired visual style and formatting for various report elements such as backgrounds, fonts, data colors, and chart styles. Users can create their own custom themes from scratch or modify existing themes provided by the Power BI community. Themes can be shared with other users, enabling consistent branding across reports and organizations. Custom themes are a powerful way to enhance the visual appeal and usability of Power BI reports, allowing users to create reports that are both functional and aesthetically pleasing.

Step 4: Edit the theme to match your requirements and click on ‘Apply’


Power BI custom themes refer to the ability to customize the visual appearance of a Power BI report or dashboard beyond the default settings provided by the software. With custom themes, users can create and apply their own unique color schemes, fonts, and other design elements to Power BI reports, making them more visually appealing and aligned with their branding or personal preferences. Themes in Power BI are defined using JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) files, which allow users to specify the desired visual style and formatting for various report elements such as backgrounds, fonts, data colors, and chart styles. Users can create their own custom themes from scratch or modify existing themes provided by the Power BI community. Themes can be shared with other users, enabling consistent branding across reports and organizations. Custom themes are a powerful way to enhance the visual appeal and usability of Power BI reports, allowing users to create reports that are both functional and aesthetically pleasing.

Step 5: Once you have finished editing your theme, click ‘Save’ to save your New Theme out as a JSON file.

Power BI custom themes refer to the ability to customize the visual appearance of a Power BI report or dashboard beyond the default settings provided by the software. With custom themes, users can create and apply their own unique color schemes, fonts, and other design elements to Power BI reports, making them more visually appealing and aligned with their branding or personal preferences. Themes in Power BI are defined using JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) files, which allow users to specify the desired visual style and formatting for various report elements such as backgrounds, fonts, data colors, and chart styles. Users can create their own custom themes from scratch or modify existing themes provided by the Power BI community. Themes can be shared with other users, enabling consistent branding across reports and organizations. Custom themes are a powerful way to enhance the visual appeal and usability of Power BI reports, allowing users to create reports that are both functional and aesthetically pleasing.

Step 7: Browse for your theme.


Power BI custom themes refer to the ability to customize the visual appearance of a Power BI report or dashboard beyond the default settings provided by the software. With custom themes, users can create and apply their own unique color schemes, fonts, and other design elements to Power BI reports, making them more visually appealing and aligned with their branding or personal preferences. Themes in Power BI are defined using JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) files, which allow users to specify the desired visual style and formatting for various report elements such as backgrounds, fonts, data colors, and chart styles. Users can create their own custom themes from scratch or modify existing themes provided by the Power BI community. Themes can be shared with other users, enabling consistent branding across reports and organizations. Custom themes are a powerful way to enhance the visual appeal and usability of Power BI reports, allowing users to create reports that are both functional and aesthetically pleasing.

Step 7: To apply your custom theme to your report, go to the ‘View’ tab, click on ‘Themes,’ and select your custom theme from the dropdown menu.


You can now use this theme for any future reports or edit it to create new themes.


Why should you create a custom theme?


So, why do we even want to create a custom theme when we already have so many to choose from in Power BI Desktop? Creating a custom theme can provide several benefits, including:


Consistency

Custom themes allow you to maintain a consistent look and feel across your reports, dashboards, and other visualisations. By defining colours, fonts, and other design elements in a theme, you can ensure that all your visualisations adhere to the same visual guidelines.


Branding

Custom themes enable you to create a unique visual identity for your organisation or product. You can incorporate your company's logo, colour scheme, and other branding elements into the theme, which can help reinforce your brand and create a sense of familiarity with your audience.


Efficiency

Once you have created a custom theme, you can easily apply it to all your visualisations without having to manually adjust the formatting each time. This can save you time and effort, especially if you are working with a large number of reports or dashboards.


Accessibility

Custom themes can be designed with accessibility in mind, ensuring that your visualisations are readable and understandable for people with visual impairments or other disabilities. For example, you can choose high-contrast colours and larger font sizes to make your visualisations more accessible.


Personalisation

Custom themes allow you to personalise your visualisations to suit your own preferences. You can choose colours and fonts that you find appealing, or create themes that reflect your personal style or interests.


I think building your own custom themes in Power BI can help to establish a consistent brand identity, save time and effort, and offer a high degree of flexibility and reusability.


Have you created your own custom themes in Power BI? If so, what design elements did you include and how have they improved the look and feel of your reports and dashboards?




IAMDATA SOLUTIONS offers a wide range of consulting services. We have the necessary tools and expertise to help you with all your Asset Management responsibilities, from every day-to-day jobs to complex implementation projects. We partner with our clients from start to finish, focusing on their needs and providing guidance where required. Together, we can develop effective strategies and scalable solutions. Our services include but are not limited to: • Asset Management Services • Data Collection & Condition Audits • GIS • Data Analysis Techniques • Business Improvements

I have worked on many different projects with my Local Government clients, from designing and developing Power BI Reports, to building SQL Server databases for spatial data, to managing and maintaining the GIS and the Asset Management systems. If you'd like to discuss how we might work together, then please email me at ➡️ jill.singleton@iamdata.solutions

 

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