How to Match Colors in Google Slides

Matching colors in your Google Slides presentations is important for creating a cohesive and professional look. However, Google Slides doesn’t have a built-in color dropper tool like PowerPoint does. In this article, I’ll explain easy methods you can use to match colors in Google Slides.

Use a Chrome Extension Color Picker

The easiest way to match colors in Google Slides is by installing a color picker extension in Chrome. Two great options are ColorZilla and Eye Dropper.

Once installed, an eyedropper icon will appear in your Chrome toolbar. To use it:

1. Click the eyedropper icon to activate it
2. Hover over any color on a web page and click to copy the hex code
3. In Google Slides, select the text or shape you want to color
4. Go to the fill, border, or text color option and choose “Custom”
5. Paste the hex code into the custom color picker

The color will instantly change to match the one you sampled with the extension. This makes matching colors from websites, graphics, or photos extremely simple.

Copy and Paste Hex Codes

If you already know the exact hex code of a color, you can manually enter it into the Google Slides custom color picker.

Here’s how:

1. Select the text or shape to color
2. Open the fill, border, or text color menu
3. Choose “Custom” at the bottom
4. Enter the 6-digit hex code into the box (for example #003366)
5. Press enter and the color will change

This method works great if you have your company brand colors defined with hex codes. Just keep the codes handy to easily match your brand palette.

Sample Colors from Your Presentation

Google Slides presentations often have theme colors, graphics, and images that you want to precisely match elsewhere in your slides.

You can easily sample any existing color:

1. Hover your mouse over the object containing the target color
2. Click on the object to automatically copy the hex code
3. Apply that code as a custom color to any text or shape

This copies the precise hex code to your clipboard instantly. Just paste it into the custom color picker to match that shade.

Create a Custom Color Palette

If you use certain colors repeatedly, you can create a custom color palette that will always be available in your Google Slides presentations.

Here’s how to make a custom palette:

1. Select any text box or shape
2. Open the fill or text color menu and choose “Custom”
3. Click the “+” icon to add a new color
4. Adjust the color picker to your desired shade
5. Click “Add” to save this to your custom palette

Repeat those steps to create a whole set of custom swatches. Then no matter what Google Slides presentation you open, your custom colors will be available in the color picker menu.

Use Themes and Templates

The fastest way to incorporate color palettes into your Google Slides presentations is by using professionally designed themes and templates.

Google offers a wide selection of free themes that contain color schemes appropriate for business presentations. Just open the “Change Theme” menu and browse the options to preview the palettes.

Additionally, sites like Slidesgo and SlidesCarnival offer thousands of free Google Slides templates with creative color combinations you can download and customize.

Conclusion

Matching colors precisely in your Google Slides presentations is simple once you know a few tricks:

• Install a Chrome extension color picker
• Manually enter hex codes
• Sample colors already used on your slides
• Create custom color swatches
• Use pre-made color themes and templates

Accurately maintaining a color palette gives your slides a polished, professional look. Consistent colors also help communicate your brand identity.

Hopefully these tips will save you time and frustration trying to get colors to match perfectly in Google Slides! Let me know in the comments if you have any other questions.