SSRS and Excel color compatibility

Question

I create and display SSRS reports in Excel format. I used my own color (mentioned in excel spec R23, G123, B87) in SSRS. But it shows a different color with the same combination in SSRS. And as soon as I draw the report in Excel, it shows a different color, although I used the same color combination.

Why is the color difference in Excel and SSRS? How can i solve this?

Answer 1

The Microsoft Excel 2003 standard color palette has 40 colors plus 16 colors to fill charts and lines. Most modern assemblies of Business Intelligence reporting systems (Cognos Series 8, Business Objects XI R3, Reporting Services 2000/2005, etc.) will automatically convert colors to the selection of the closest matching color palette of Excel 2003 as part of the rendering in the Excel method. This can be very frustrating for Office 2007 users, given that by default Excel has almost unlimited color options.

Reporting Services 2008 does NOT have this color palette limitation. If you are presenting a report in Excel in Reporting Services 2008, then the colors will match the colors displayed in your report in HTML format.