Power Apps Tutorial: Crafting Your Own Modern Theme

Introduction

In this tutorial, you will learn how to create your own modern theme in Power Apps. With the recent updates, you can now enhance the default themes with custom designs in canvas apps. This guide will walk you through the steps to set up and configure your themes, using both modern and classic controls, as well as tips for updating existing controls.

Step 1: Creating a Theme

1. Open your Power Apps canvas app.
2. Go to the Themes section in the left-hand navigation pane.
3. Select Create New Theme.
4. Customize your theme by adjusting the following:
   • Primary Color: Choose a color that represents your brand.
   • Secondary Color: Pick a complementary color for accents.
   • Font Style: Select fonts that align with your brand identity.
   • Button Styles: Modify the button appearance (rounded corners, shadows, etc.).
5. Save your theme once you are satisfied with the customization.

Practical Tips:

• Keep your color palette simple; using three to four colors is often effective.
• Consider contrast for readability when selecting colors.

Step 2: Using the Theme with Modern Controls

1. Once your theme is created, navigate to the screen where you want to apply it.
2. Select the modern controls (like buttons, text inputs, etc.) you want to style.
3. In the properties pane, locate the Theme property.
4. Select your newly created theme from the dropdown.
5. Review the appearance of the controls to ensure they reflect your theme.

Common Pitfalls:

• Ensure that all modern controls are compatible with themes; some may not support customization.
• Preview your app to see how the theme looks across different devices.

Step 3: Using the Theme with Classic Controls

1. Select the classic controls (like labels, dropdowns, etc.) you want to update.
2. Since classic controls may not support themes directly, you will need to manually set properties:
   • Update Fill property for backgrounds.
   • Adjust Color property for text.
   • Modify Border properties according to your theme.
3. Test the controls to ensure they visually align with your theme.

Practical Advice:

• Use the same color codes and font styles from your modern theme to maintain consistency.

Step 4: Updating Existing Controls to Use the Theme

1. Identify existing controls that need updating.
2. Select each control one by one.
3. Apply your theme settings:
   • For modern controls, set the Theme property.
   • For classic controls, manually adjust the properties as mentioned.
4. Save changes and conduct thorough testing to ensure everything displays correctly.

Additional Tips:

• Utilize the Preview mode in Power Apps to see changes in real-time.
• Document your theme settings for future reference or to replicate the theme in other apps.

Conclusion

Creating a custom modern theme in Power Apps allows you to enhance the visual consistency of your applications. By following these steps, you can effectively set up and apply your theme to both modern and classic controls. As a next step, consider experimenting with different design elements and gather user feedback to refine your theme further. Happy building!