a:schemeClr (Scheme Color)
References a color from the document's color scheme, enabling coordinated color changes across all content.
Parent elements
Child elements
Description
\:schemeClr\ is the DrawingML scheme color element that references a named color from the document’s color scheme (theme colors). It is defined in ECMA-376 Part 1 §20.1.2.3.30.
Scheme colors provide powerful theming capabilities:
- One-point updates: Change a single theme color, all references update automatically
- Coordinated themes: Ensure color consistency across entire presentation or document
- Professional appearance: Scheme colors align with Office theme selections
- Accessibility: Theme colors often follow WCAG contrast guidelines
- Flexibility: Users can switch themes and all colors adapt dynamically
Scheme color names (SchemeColorValues):
- lt1, dk1: Light/Dark primary background colors
- lt2, dk2: Light/Dark secondary background colors
- accent1 through accent6: Six accent colors for highlights, emphasis
- hlink: Hyperlink color (default blue)
- folHlink: Followed hyperlink color (visited link, default purple)
Each scheme color can be modified with tint, shade, or alpha to create variations.
Attributes
| Attribute | Type | Range/Values | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| \ al\ | \ST_SchemeColorChoice\ | lt1, dk1, lt2, dk2, accent1–6, hlink, folHlink | (required) | Reference to scheme color name. |
Content Model
\:schemeClr\ optionally contains color modifiers:
- \:tint: Lighten the scheme color
- \:shade: Darken the scheme color
- \:alpha: Set transparency
- \:lumMod\ / \:lumOff: Luminance adjustments
Modifiers applied in sequence to theme color.
Child Elements Table
| Element | Occurrence | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| \:tint\ | 0–1 | Lighten scheme color (0–100000) |
| \:shade\ | 0–1 | Darken scheme color (0–100000) |
| \:alpha\ | 0–1 | Set transparency (0–100000) |
| \:alphaOff\ | 0–1 | Offset transparency value |
| \:alphaMod\ | 0–1 | Multiply transparency percentage |
Examples
Direct Accent Color Reference
<a:solidFill>
<a:schemeClr val=\"accent1\"/>
</a:solidFill>using DocumentFormat.OpenXml.Drawing;
var solidFill = new SolidFill();
var schemeClr = new SchemeColor { Val = SchemeColorValues.Accent1 };
solidFill.Append(schemeClr);Scheme Color with Tint (Lighter)
<a:schemeClr val=\"accent1\">
<a:tint val=\"40000\"/>
</a:schemeClr>var schemeClr = new SchemeColor { Val = SchemeColorValues.Accent1 };
schemeClr.Append(new Tint { Val = 40000 }); // 40% lighterScheme Color with Shade (Darker)
<a:schemeClr val=\"accent1\">
<a:shade val=\"50000\"/>
</a:schemeClr>var schemeClr = new SchemeColor { Val = SchemeColorValues.Accent1 };
schemeClr.Append(new Shade { Val = 50000 }); // 50% darkerScheme Color with Transparency
<a:schemeClr val=\"accent2\">
<a:alpha val=\"60000\"/>
</a:schemeClr>var schemeClr = new SchemeColor { Val = SchemeColorValues.Accent2 };
schemeClr.Append(new Alpha { Val = 60000 }); // 60% opaqueAccent Color with Tint and Transparency
<a:schemeClr val=\"accent3\">
<a:tint val=\"25000\"/>
<a:alpha val=\"80000\"/>
</a:schemeClr>var schemeClr = new SchemeColor { Val = SchemeColorValues.Accent3 };
schemeClr.Append(new Tint { Val = 25000 }); // 25% lighter
schemeClr.Append(new Alpha { Val = 80000 }); // 80% opaqueReference Tables
Scheme Color Names
| Value | Type | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| lt1 | Primary | Light background (typically white/light gray) |
| dk1 | Primary | Dark background (typically dark blue/black) |
| lt2 | Secondary | Light accent background |
| dk2 | Secondary | Dark accent background |
| accent1 | Accent | First emphasis color (typically blue) |
| accent2 | Accent | Second emphasis color (typically orange) |
| accent3 | Accent | Third emphasis color (typically gold/yellow) |
| accent4 | Accent | Fourth emphasis color (typically green) |
| accent5 | Accent | Fifth emphasis color (typically red) |
| accent6 | Accent | Sixth emphasis color (typically purple) |
| hlink | Link | Hyperlink color (typically blue) |
| folHlink | Link | Visited hyperlink (typically purple) |
Office Default Theme Colors (Office 2007+)
| Accent | RGB Value | Color |
|---|---|---|
| accent1 | 4472C4 | Blue |
| accent2 | ED7D31 | Orange |
| accent3 | A5A5A5 | Gray |
| accent4 | FFC000 | Gold |
| accent5 | 5B9BD5 | Light Blue |
| accent6 | 70AD47 | Green |
Notes
Element Relationships
- Parents: Solid fills, lines, shadows, reference fills where color theming is needed
- Fill Hierarchy: Can be used in any fill context; single color per fill
- Theme Binding: Scheme colors link to presentation/document theme colors
- Dynamic Updates: Theme changes automatically update all scheme color references
Implementation Details
- Theme Integration: Essential for Office document themes; allows users to change color schemes globally
- Modification Stack: Tint/shade modifiers layer on top of theme color
- Accent Colors: Six accent colors (accent1–accent6) provide primary design color set
- Primary Colors: lt1/dk1 provide background contrast pair
- Hyperlink Colors: hlink (current) and folHlink (visited) for link styling
- Modification Values: Tint 0–100000 (0–100% lighter), shade 0–100000 (0–100% darker)
- Color Scheme Switching: When theme colors change, all schemeClr references update instantly
- Fallback Strategy: Specify RGB color as fallback for clients without theme support
- Compatibility: Scheme colors render consistently across Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Impress
- Performance: Scheme color lookup negligible; no rendering performance penalty
- Best Practice: Use scheme colors for primary design colors; RGB for specific, fixed colors