How to Change Chart Colors in Google Sheets

Google Sheets picks chart colors automatically, but they rarely match your brand, your presentation or the meaning of your data. You can change the color of every bar, line or pie slice, highlight a single data point, and recolor the background, titles and gridlines, all from the chart editor. This guide covers each option, along with a theme trick that changes the default colors for every new chart.

Quick answer

Double-click the chart to open the Chart editor, click the Customize tab, and expand Series. Choose a series from the dropdown (or leave Apply to all series), then pick a new Fill color or Line color. For a pie chart, expand Pie slice instead and change each slice’s color.

Change the color of a data series

1. Click the chart once, then click the three-dot menu in its corner and choose Edit chart, or simply double-click the chart.
2. In the Chart editor on the right, click Customize.
3. Expand Series.
4. Open the dropdown at the top of the section and select the series you want to recolor, such as “Sales” or “Expenses”.
5. Click Fill color for bars, columns and areas, or Line color for lines, and choose a color. Click Custom to enter an exact hex code such as #1A73E8.
6. Adjust Fill opacity or Line thickness if you like.

Repeat for each series. Changes appear on the chart immediately.

Change pie chart colors

1. Open the Chart editor and click Customize.
2. Expand Pie slice.
3. Select a slice from the dropdown, then choose a new Color.
4. Repeat for each slice. You can also set a Distance from center to pull one slice out for emphasis.

Highlight a single bar or point

To make one bar stand out, such as the best month or a target value:

1. In Customize > Series, scroll down to Format data point and click Add.
2. Choose the data point from the list, or click it on the chart, and click OK.
3. Set a new Color for that point.

Everything else in the series keeps its original color.

Change background, border and text colors

• Background and border: in Customize > Chart style, set Background color and Chart border color. Choose None for a transparent background.
• Font and font color: in Chart style, choose a Font for the whole chart.
• Titles: in Chart & axis titles, pick each title from the dropdown and set its Title text color.
• Legend: in Legend, change the Text color.
• Gridlines: in Gridlines and ticks, change the Major gridline color and minor gridline color.

Change default chart colors with a theme

If you want every chart in the spreadsheet to use your colors, change the theme instead of editing each chart.

1. Go to Format > Theme.
2. Choose a preset theme, or click Customize at the top of the Themes panel.
3. Set Accent 1 to Accent 6 to your colors. Charts use the accent colors in order for their series.
4. Click Done.

Charts that still use default colors update automatically. Series you colored by hand keep their custom colors.

Color tips for clearer charts

• Use color with purpose. Keep most series in muted colors and use one bold color for the data you want people to notice.
• Keep meanings consistent. If “Expenses” is red in one chart, keep it red in every chart.
• Check contrast. Light yellows and pastels can disappear on a white background or when printed.
• Think about color blindness. Avoid relying only on red versus green; combine colors with labels, patterns or different lightness.

Frequently asked questions

Why can’t I see the Series options?

Make sure you are on the Customize tab, not Setup. For pie charts, the colors are under Pie slice instead of Series.

Can I change chart colors on the Google Sheets mobile app?

The mobile app has limited chart editing. Some chart types let you tap the chart, tap Edit chart, and change series colors, but for full control use a computer.

Can I color bars by value automatically?

Not directly. A common workaround is to split the data into separate columns (for example, above target and below target) so each becomes its own series with its own color.

Related guides

New to charts? Start with how to make a graph on Google Sheets. Once your chart looks right, you can download it as a PNG to use in documents and slides.

Summary

1. Double-click the chart and open Customize.
2. Use Series to change bar, column and line colors.
3. Use Pie slice for pie charts.
4. Use Format data point to highlight one value.
5. Use Format > Theme to change default colors for all charts.

Kermit Matthews

Kermit Matthews runs Live2Tech from just outside Philadelphia. He is an IT specialist with over 20 years of experience, from a university help desk to small-business IT, IT management and his own consulting practice, and has written tech guides full time since 2020. Steps are checked against the current software on a real device or the maker’s official documentation. More about Kermit.