Hi,



What is the difference between having a user save a design theme and use that, vs. having them install a potx file with the same design?

My goal is to have all elements present for a user, including the color theme I created displaying as a drop down when they go to edit colors.

My understanding is that the color theme file does not travel with the design theme or template. That is, when you apply the design theme to an existing file, some colors may change, but when you go to insert a shape, for example, the drop down colors are based on the current color theme selected, and not necessarily the theme that was used in the design theme, since the color theme xml is particular to a user's machine.

I want to make it easy for them. A year or two ago, I had them place the design theme and color theme files in the appropriate locations, and I sent a potx file they could call up for each new presentation. This seemed complicated.

I'm trying to avoid having users install the xml file for a color theme, but I don't think I can, otherwise the colors won't appear in the drop down for fills, text, etc. I'm also trying to avoid them having to install the template file. Is the template file really needed, if they just keep a 'clean' version of the file I send them? (The pptx, not the potx.) And, a reason I'm asking is that no one has ever asked *me* to install a color theme before, so I'm wondering why I'm the only one in my group who asked people to use a template and install a color theme (2 years ago).

Thoughts or suggestions? (I really would like to understand the difference between design theme and template, regardless..... Template for new files only?)

Thanks!