PowerPoint Allow a default table style to be set
The ability to set a default table style in a presentation is a major omission from PowerPoint. Currently when you insert a table it takes the formatting of one of the built-in table styles, which you can then change by choosing another one of the built-in styles.
Most brands require a specific format for their tables - e.g. a certain colour of header row, a certain style of borders, etc. It would be very helpful if these attributes could be baked into a template so that new tables automatically take on the correct styling.
Currently the only workaround for this is to include a sample table on a slide within the template, and ask users to copy that table and adapt for their data, or to manually make their table styling look the same – both of which of course are universally ignored because they require more work.
It is possible to set the default style of text boxes, shapes and lines, so default table styles is a completely logical addition.
Richard
shared this idea
6 comments
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Marie
commented
There is so much lacking in PPT compared with Word or Excel for styles. I use professional layout software and my hands are tied every time I try to 'dress up' a PPT presentation. I realize that many MS users are not as experienced as one who does layout for magazines and books, but there has to be an easier way to really make the PPT sing with better options for Styles, such as even the simple Styles ribbon menu in WORD.
Come on, Microsoft. This isn't the 90s anymore. We've moved past that.
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EG
commented
Yes, please. Create your own table theme and be able to save it under a name like the color palettes!
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Sander Reijn
commented
I think this is the time to incorporate this missing feature. Come on MS!
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Richard
commented
I just discovered the feature in Word to set up a custom table style, like paragraph or character styles (I'm not a big user of Word so never realised it's there) but that is EXACTLY what needs to be available in PowerPoint. Why is it only in Word and not PPT?!?!
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John Korchok
commented
This is one area where the Windows version is just as bad. Until this feature gets added, it's possible to create custom table styles manually: http://www.brandwares.com/bestpractices/2015/07/xml-hacking-custom-table-styles/
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Stina
commented
I totally agree! This feature is available in Word and Excel for years now, so it is remakable, that it still not available in PowerPoint! Custom table styles are needed for corporate templates, as many Design Guides predefine, how tables have to look like.
