Microsoft Office 2013 has definitely received a warm welcome by its diverse user base and adaptability has been in the air ever since its launch. To satisfy the needs and preferences of every user is the most challenging task, a software company at a scale as Microsoft has to encounter. This is where customizations and options empowering every user to mold the interface up to his or her needs, come in handy. The key is to provide a feature-rich and a balanced default interface such that the novice users have little difficulty in moving things along as they did in the past. One of the most common wishes expressed over the past year by Office 2013 users is the ability or option to customize the appearance of Microsoft Office 2013’s programs. Not every one is a fan of the clean yet dry default color schemes prevalent in all Office 2013 programs including Microsoft Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, Excel and so on. This post addresses this concern and highlights a simple method to change the default theme as well as the color scheme of the Microsoft Office 2013. So, read on after the jump, and find out how to give your Office 2013 utilities a personal touch!

Although there may be several hacks and unofficial ways, out there, of revolutionizing the way Office 2013 programs look like but we will stick to the official script in order to ensure the best results. Microsoft Office 2013 allows you to customize two aspects of the appearance: office theme and office background. Remember, your preference on any one program of the Office 2013 Suite (we take Microsoft Word 2013 as an example for the purpose of this post) will be automatically be applied to the remaining applications in the Suite (like Microsoft PowerPoint 2013, Excel 2013 and so on). So, let’s get on with the steps required for the fulfillment of this cause.

Sign In To Windows Live / Hotmail

Sign in to your Microsoft Account (may it be Windows Live formally known as Hotmail and more recently transformed to the Outlook.com account). If you don’t sign in, you will only be able to view a select few options or variations with regards to customizing the appearance of your Office 2013 applications.

Click the File menu from the ribbon interface and select Options to access the Word Options window. This is where all form of customizations relevant to appearance as well as operation are made available.

Change Office Background in Office 2013

In the Office Options window, you can choose from 15 variations of the Background which include patterns and overlays on the solid color of the interface. It enables you to personalize the interface without loosing the professional feel and outlook of Microsoft Office 2013. Click the relevant field to activate the dropdown menu after which you can apply the pattern you like the most.

Select An Office Theme

Now, select the Office Theme that appeals to you. Microsoft Office 2013 allows you to choose from three themes that cling you on to the greyish white spectrum. Click on the respective field and choose from the dropdown menu. After you’ve done this, simply click OK and you’re good to go. Your applications will have your mark throughout except for Outlook 2013 which requires a change in setting under the Office Account settings which is accessible after getting to the File Menu.

Although some more variety in the Office theme wouldn’t have harmed the professional feel of the Office 2013 but the current customization set still is enough to pacify the artistic feel lovers out there and we hope that any future upgrades from Microsoft would bring more color to the frame but till then, we recommend varying the appearance using the method highlighted above. So, which theme did you end up with? Share your experience and preference to let the activity in the comments section rolling. If you face any issues in doing so or you would like to highlight a relevant tip, share away. Cheers!