What Are Style Presets?
Style Presets let you define a set of visual properties (like background color, border, corner radius) and apply them with one click to visuals of the same type.
This means:
- Less manual formatting
- More consistent design
- Easier collaboration across teams
Step 1: Set Up a Theme in Power BITo start, use Power BI Desktop (March 2024 or later).
- Insert a visual (like a table or bar chart).
- Go to the View tab → Select a base theme.
- Click Customize current theme.
4. Give it a name (e.g. “Demo Theme”).
5. Go to
Visuals and define formatting:
- Background color
- Border color
- Corner radius (e.g. 20px)
Click Apply and see your changes reflected on all visuals.
Step 2: Export the Theme as JSONNow we take it a step further:
- Export the theme: View → Save current theme
- Save it as demo-theme.json
- Open it in a code editor (Visual Studio Code recommended)
To make it readable, right-click → Format Document.
Step 3: Add a Schema Reference
For IntelliSense and validation, insert the Power BI theme schema at the top:
Step 4: Define Custom Presets for VisualsInside the visualStyles section, you’ll define presets for a specific visual type (e.g., clusteredBarChart).
- Use the visual type name as the key.
- Within it, define multiple presets by name.
- Set formatting options for each.
Step 5: Import and Test in Power BI
- Save the JSON file.
- Go to View → Browse for themes → Import your modified JSON.
Once imported:
- Go to a visual’s Format pane.
- Under Style Presets, you'll now see your custom styles.
Switching between them applies all settings instantly.
Bonus: Default Preset Behavior
If you click Reset to default, Power BI uses the preset defined as "default" in your theme file. However, note: sometimes this might not apply visual formatting unless you explicitly select the preset. This may be a bug or a nuance to be aware of.
Why This Matters
With custom style presets, you can:
• Define branding and design guidelines once.
• Reuse them across visuals and reports.
• Speed up development significantly.
• Promote visual consistency across your team or organization.
Imagine one theme file containing presets for bar charts, line charts, pie charts, cards, and more - all selectable with one click.
Hope you like it!
Give it a try and see how it works for you! I’d love to hear what you think or see how you use this trick in your own reports.
