How to Create Custom Color Palettes
Custom color palettes in Tableau allow you to create your own color schemes for your visualizations. This can be used to make your visualizations more visually appealing and to communicate your data in a more effective way.
1
Open Tableau Desktop
Start by opening Tableau Desktop and loading a dataset you want to visualize.
2
Locate Tableau Repository
Navigate to your Tableau Repository folder. This is usually located under your "Documents" folder.
3
Open Preferences File
Inside the Tableau Repository, find the "Preferences.tps" file and open it with a text editor like Notepad or any XML editor.
4
Write XML Code for Custom Palette
In the XML file, write the code to define your custom color palette. You can specify the color using hex codes, RGB values, etc.
<workbook> <preferences> <color-palette name="Classic Red-Black" type="ordered-diverging"> <color>#1e1e1e</color> <color>#383838</color> <color>#565656</color> <color>#777777</color> <color>#9b9b9b</color> <color>#cacaca</color> <color>#fc8375</color> <color>#df513f</color> <color>#d11719</color> <color>#bd1316</color> <color>#9c0824</color> </color-palette> </preferences> </workbook>
5
Save and Close Preferences File
After editing, save and close the Preferences file.
6
Restart Tableau
Close Tableau if it's open and restart it to apply the changes.
7
Access the Edit Colors Dialog
Once you have created a simple chart in Tableau, open the "Edit Colors" dialog box by navigating to the color legend or selecting 'Color'.
8
Locate Custom Palette
In the color dialog, navigate to the dropdown menu for color palettes. You should see your custom palette listed.
9
Apply Custom Palette
Select your custom color palette, and apply it to the visualization.
By creating custom color palettes, you can add a touch of personality and creativity to your visualizations.
