How to create PowerPoint Chart Templates

PowerPoint, with its array of features and tools, has become the go-to platform for creating visually appealing and engaging presentations. One of its powerful features is the ability to create and save chart templates, saving you time and effort when designing future presentations. This blog post provides a step by step guide for how to create and save PowerPoint chart templates.

What is a PointPoint Chart Template?

A PowerPoint Chart Template is a file that contains predefined settings for creating a chart in PowerPoint. Chart Templates can save you time and effort when you need to present data in a visual way. For example, you can use a Chart Template to apply a consistent style, layout, and color scheme to your PowerPoint Charts. You can also use a Chart Template to store custom data labels, axis options, and other chart elements that you want to reuse.

Why create Chart Templates for PowerPoint?

If you generate a Chart without using a template, PowerPoint doesn't always select and apply the colors from your presentation's theme in the way you would expect to keep your charts consistent with your branding. PowerPoint Chart Templates are a great way to save time and create consistent and professional, on-brand charts for your presentations. This article is a step by step guide showing you how to create, use and share PowerPoint Chart Templates in a few simple steps.

How do I create a PowerPoint Chart Template?

Step 1: Create a chart in PowerPoint by inserting one of PowerPoint's built in Charts from the Insert Tab >Charts or from the slide's content placeholder by clicking the Chart icon.

Customize the chart as required, such as changing the colors, fonts, labels, etc. Pay attention to font selection, color scheme, axis labels, titles, data series formatting, gridlines, and legends. Note that if you have PPT Productivity add-in for PowerPoint, you can use the PPT Productivity Color Toolbar to quickly update the colors of elements on your chart.

Step 2: Save the chart as a template. Once you have completed your customizations, right-click on your chart and select Save as Template.

You will be prompted to choose a name for the Chart type. Note that by default PowerPoint saves your Chart template location as C:\Users\YOUR_COMPUTER_NAME \AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\ Templates\Charts\... When you are saving the template, the chart file should be a .crtx file type.

Step 3: How to use the template when creating a new chart. When you want to create a new PowerPoint chart using your template, navigate to the Insert Tab and select Chart, or click the Chart icon in the slide's content placeholder. In the Insert Chart dialog box, click on Templates, then browse to and select your Template file.

Click OK and your new chart will be inserted into your slide using your Chart Template formatting. You can now customize the chart and update your data points.

Step 4: Modify the template if needed. To make changes to your PowerPoint Chart Template, simply insert the Template to your slide, make the required changes then select 'save as a Template'. You can either save the Template with the same name as the previous version (to overwrite the previous version), or give it a new name if you want to keep both templates.

If you have inserted a chart based on your Chart Template but want to change the Chart Style, right mouse click on the chart and select Change Chart Type, then choose your preferred Chart Type. The Chart Type will update, but your template formatting will remain (your preferred colors and fonts will be applied to the new chart type).

How do I set Chart Styles as my default?

You can set a PowerPoint Chart Style as your default from the Chart Templates folder. To set a Chart Style as the Default, right click on the Chart in the Template folder and select 'Set as Default Chart'.

Once you have set your Default Chart Style, each time you insert a chart from PowerPoint's Insert Tab or the slide's content placeholder, your Default Chart Style will be automatically inserted.

Can I share My PowerPoint Chart Templates?

You can keep your PowerPoint chart styles consistent throughout your team by sharing your Chart Template files.

To share Chart Templates, navigate to where the Templates are saved - generally C:\Users\YOUR COMPUTER NAME\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Templates\Charts\...

Copy the content in this folder that you want to share, i.e. the Template (.crtx) files. You can either send the files via email, or save them to a share drive location that your colleagues have access to. They will then need to copy and save them to the same Template Folder location - generally C:\Users\THEIR COMPUTER NAME\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Templates\Charts\...

Now, they will be about access the same Chart Templates in via the Insert Chart Dialogue box.

Note for PPT Productivity Power Tools users, your PT Productivity Slide Library also enables you to save Charts that can be reused in your Presentations and across your whole organization by means of the Team Slide Library.