Customizing Highcharts for your brand’s aesthetic

In today’s competitive world, a strong, cohesive brand identity is crucial for business success. Every visual element your audience sees—from your website to data charts—shapes how they perceive your brand. Visualization tools like Highcharts make it easy to present complex data clearly, but without customization, these charts can feel out of sync with your brand’s design. The default styles might clash with your look, creating a disjointed experience.

The good news? Customizing Highcharts to fit your brand is both possible and rewarding, helping you enhance your visual storytelling effectively. This post explores how you can do exactly that.

Whether you’re a developer working with JavaScript, .NET, React, or other common frameworks, we’re confident you’ll find the inspiration you need.

Highcharts also integrates seamlessly with popular languages such as Python, R, PHP, and Java, as well as mobile platforms like iOS and Android. Additional support for frameworks like Svelte, Angular, and Vue makes it a versatile tool for various development environments.

To see more examples and get an even better understanding of the opportunities Highcharts offers, please head over to the demo section of our website or read up on the technical documentation on how to get started. Once you get the hang of it, the API reference will help you customize your charts in no time.

Understanding the importance of consistent branding

In the digital era, where consumers are inundated with information, standing out requires more than just a great product or service—it demands a strong and consistent brand identity. Visual elements play a pivotal role in this identity, influencing how your audience perceives and interacts with your brand.

The power of consistent branding

Consistent branding is the practice of aligning all brand expressions—visual, verbal, and experiential—to create a unified message. According to Lucidpress, brands that present themselves consistently are 3 to 4 times more likely to enjoy brand visibility. Moreover, consistent branding can increase revenue by up to 23%, highlighting its direct impact on business performance.

Visual identity and user experience

Visual identity encompasses all visual components of your brand, including logos, color schemes, typography, imagery, and overall design style. These elements collectively create a memorable brand image that fosters recognition and trust. When your audience encounters a consistent visual experience across all platforms—website, social media, marketing materials—they are more likely to develop a strong connection with your brand.

Unlocking Highcharts customization potential

Highcharts is more than just a charting library; it’s a versatile tool that, when customized effectively, can become an extension of your brand’s visual language.

Highcharts provides a robust API and extensive options for customization. Whether you’re adjusting color schemes, modifying fonts, or altering the behavior of chart elements, Highcharts offers the flexibility needed to tailor your data visualizations precisely to your brand’s specifications.

1. Design and style

Highcharts offers extensive customization options for chart design and styling, enabling developers to create data visualizations that are both functionally effective and visually compelling. The design and style documentation provides guidelines on selecting appropriate chart types based on data characteristics, configuring axes with precise scale settings, and fine-tuning chart elements such as plot lines, markers, and tooltips. It also covers best practices for enhancing chart readability, including optimizing label placement, adjusting font properties, and implementing responsive design techniques to ensure charts render correctly across different devices and screen resolutions.

2. Colors

In Highcharts, colors play a pivotal role in distinguishing data series and highlighting critical data points. While Highcharts provides a default color palette, developers can override these defaults to conform to specific branding guidelines or to improve data legibility. Colors can be customized at multiple levels: globally via the colors array in the chart options, at the series level by specifying the color property, or at the individual point level. Highcharts supports color specification in various formats, including hexadecimal, RGB(A), and named CSS colors. Additionally, color interpolation can be utilized for dynamic color changes based on data values, enhancing the visual representation of data trends and patterns. Learn more about colors in the documentation here.

Example of colors

See the Pen <a href="https://codepen.io/hs-demo/pen/RwXPbZV"> Streamgraph</a> by Hs Demo (<a href="https://codepen.io/hs-demo">@hs-demo</a>) on <a href="https://codepen.io">CodePen</a>.

Go to the demo page for “Streamgraph” to view its code, play around with different theme colors or edit it on JSFiddle or Codepen.

3. Pattern fills

Pattern fills in Highcharts allow developers to fill chart elements—such as bars, columns, and areas—with patterns instead of solid colors. This feature is particularly advantageous in contexts where color differentiation is insufficient or when printing in grayscale. Since version 6.1.0, Highcharts has supported pattern fills via the pattern-fill.js module, which allows you to replace standard color options with patterns. This feature works similarly to how linear and radial gradients are applied in the color settings. Patterns can be used in any place where a color option is available within the chart. Additionally, you have the flexibility to use both custom SVG patterns and image-based patterns, providing a broad range of styling options for your charts. You can learn how to add pattern fills to your Highcharts visualizations by checking out the relevant section in the documentation here.

Example of pattern fills

See the Pen <a href="https://codepen.io/hs-demo/pen/RwXPbLV"> Pie with Patterns</a> by Hs Demo (<a href="https://codepen.io/hs-demo">@hs-demo</a>) on <a href="https://codepen.io">CodePen</a>.

Go to the demo page for “Pie with Patterns” to view its code, play around with different theme colors or edit it on JSFiddle or Codepen.

4. Themes

Themes in Highcharts serve as a mechanism to apply a consistent visual style across multiple charts. A theme is essentially a JavaScript object that extends the default chart options. Highcharts includes several built-in themes, such as Dark Unica, Sand Signika, and Grid Light, which can be applied by including the corresponding theme file and setting it before chart initialization. Developers can create custom themes by defining a theme object that specifies global styling options, such as colors, fonts, and default settings for chart elements. By applying a theme, developers can ensure uniformity in visualizations, streamline the styling process, and facilitate maintenance by centralizing style definitions. Learn more about using Themes here.

Example of themes

See the Pen <a href="https://codepen.io/hs-demo/pen/gOVpYGG"> Light/Dark Theme Detection</a> by Hs Demo (<a href="https://codepen.io/hs-demo">@hs-demo</a>) on <a href="https://codepen.io">CodePen</a>.

Go to the demo page for “Light/Dark Theme Detection” to view its code, play around with different theme colors or

edit it on JSFiddle or Codepen.

5. Style by CSS

Highcharts supports styling charts using Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) through its styled mode feature. In styled mode, inline styles and presentation attributes are removed from SVG elements, and styling is applied exclusively via CSS classes. This approach aligns chart styling with standard web development practices, allowing developers to leverage the full capabilities of CSS, including selectors, inheritance, and media queries. To enable styled mode, the styledMode property must be set to true in the chart options. Developers can then style chart elements by targeting the appropriate CSS classes provided by Highcharts, such as .highcharts-series, .highcharts-axis, and .highcharts-title.

Example of CSS

See the Pen <a href="https://codepen.io/hs-demo/pen/PoMqYJO"> Stock Chart Design CSS</a> by Hs Demo (<a href="https://codepen.io/hs-demo">@hs-demo</a>) on <a href="https://codepen.io">CodePen</a>.

Go to the demo page for “Stock Chart Design CSS” to view its code, play around with different theme colors or edit it on JSFiddle or Codepen.

6. Custom themes in styled mode

When using Highcharts in styled mode, custom themes can be implemented by creating and modifying CSS rules that target Highcharts-specific classes and elements. Developers can define styles for various chart components, including axes, series, tooltips, and legends, using standard CSS syntax. By organizing these styles into separate CSS files or modules, developers can create reusable themes that can be easily swapped or modified. Custom themes in styled mode offer the advantage of utilizing CSS features such as variables (custom properties), mixins (with pre-processors like SASS or LESS), and responsive design techniques. This method provides granular control over the chart’s appearance while adhering to web standards and best practices in styling. Learn more about it here.

Example of styled mode

See the Pen <a href="https://codepen.io/hs-demo/pen/BaXNBwY"> Styled Mode Pie</a> by Hs Demo (<a href="https://codepen.io/hs-demo">@hs-demo</a>) on <a href="https://codepen.io">CodePen</a>.

Go to the demo page for “Styled Mode Pie” to view its code, play around with different theme colors or edit it on JSFiddle or Codepen.

7. Gradients, shadows, and patterns

Highcharts provides support for advanced graphical effects such as gradients, shadows, and patterns, which enhance the aesthetic appeal and depth of charts. Learn all about them in this documentation section.

Gradients: Developers can apply linear or radial gradients to chart elements by defining gradient objects within the color properties. Gradients are specified using SVG gradient definitions and can be applied globally or to specific series or points. This allows for smooth transitions between colors, adding dimensionality and visual interest to areas, lines, or columns.
Shadows: Shadows can be enabled for chart elements to create a sense of layering and focus. The shadow property can be configured with properties such as color, offsets, opacity, and width. Shadows enhance the visual hierarchy and can help highlight specific data series or elements within the chart.
Patterns: In addition to pattern fills discussed earlier, patterns can be used in conjunction with gradients and colors to create complex visual effects. Patterns are defined using SVG elements and can include combinations of shapes, lines, and colors. Applying patterns can improve the chart’s accessibility by providing non-color-based differentiation, which is beneficial for users with color vision deficiencies or when printing in monochrome.

By utilizing these graphical effects, developers can create rich and engaging visualizations that not only convey data effectively but also enhance the user experience through improved aesthetics.

Example of gradient fill

See the Pen <a href="https://codepen.io/hs-demo/pen/NWQqKaz"> Pie with Gradient Fill</a> by Hs Demo (<a href="https://codepen.io/hs-demo">@hs-demo</a>) on <a href="https://codepen.io">CodePen</a>.

Go to the demo page for “Pie with Gradient Fill” to view its code, play around with different theme colors or edit it on JSFiddle or Codepen.

Tips and best practices

Consistency: Standardize chart elements by using the same color schemes, fonts, and styles across all charts. Create reusable templates or components to streamline development.
Readability: Ensure sufficient contrast between text and background colors, remove unnecessary elements like excessive grid lines, and use appropriate font sizes for better clarity.
Accessibility: Choose color palettes that are distinguishable for color-blind users and provide alternative text or annotations for critical data points.
Testing: Test charts on different devices and browsers to ensure they render properly, and optimize performance for charts with large data sets.
Documentation: Maintain style guides and use version control for your theme and chart configurations to track changes and ensure consistency within your team.

Conclusion and actions

Consistent branding is more than just a visual strategy—it’s a vital component of building trust and recognition with your audience. Customizing Highcharts to align with your brand’s aesthetic ensures that every piece of data you present contributes positively to your brand image.

Now that you’re equipped with the knowledge and tools to customize Highcharts, it’s time to put them into practice:

Assess your current charts: Identify areas where your data visualizations could better align with your brand.
Define your brand elements: Clearly outline your brand’s colors, fonts, and styles.
Start customizing: Implement the steps provided to tailor your Highcharts visualizations.
Iterate and improve: Continuously refine your charts based on feedback and testing.

Remember, the goal is to create data visualizations that are not only informative but also a seamless extension of your brand. By investing time in customizing Highcharts, you’re enhancing the overall user experience and strengthening your brand’s impact.

Begin your customization journey today, and watch how cohesive, branded charts can elevate your data storytelling and resonate more deeply with your audience.