Style the form

Use the Design tab to establish the visual system for the entire form before adding one-off formatting to individual fields.

Example: create a clear, consistent form appearance

1. Open the form and select Design.
2. Choose a Theme that is close to the organization’s approved visual style.
3. In the Form design group, set the default typography and colors. Check text against its background for readable contrast.
4. Choose a default Label placement. Use Top when the form will be completed on phones or when labels are long.
5. In the Error design group, set text and background colors that are noticeable and readable; do not rely on color alone to communicate an error.
6. Preview the form at desktop and phone widths. Review an ordinary page, a required-field error, and a long label.
7. Only then use a selected field’s Edit appearance settings for the rare element that truly needs to differ.

Expected result

The form has a coherent theme, readable labels and errors, and minimal local overrides. A respondent can distinguish normal content, inputs, and validation feedback without guessing.

Before publishing

• Check contrast for all custom foreground/background pairs.
• Make sure error messaging says what needs correction, not only that something is wrong.
• Test labels at narrow widths; left and right label positions can consume too much space on mobile.