Changing background colors in word

To add some extra visual interest to your document, add a background color using the Page Color button. You can also add a watermark.

Add or change the background color

1. Go to Design > Page Color.

2. Choose the color you want under Theme Colors or Standard Colors.

   

   • If you don’t see the color you want, select More Colors, and then choose a color from the Colors box.

   • To add a gradient, texture, pattern, or picture, select Fill Effects, and then go to Gradient, Texture, Pattern, or Picture and select an option.

Patterns and textures are repeated (or “tiled”) to fill the entire page. If you save your document as a webpage, the textures are saved as JPEG files, and the patterns and gradients are saved as PNG files.

Remove the background color

1. Go to Design > Page Color.

2. Select No Color.

You can use gradients, patterns, pictures, solid colors, or textures for backgrounds. Gradients, patterns, pictures, and textures are tiled or repeated to fill the page. If you save a document as a webpage, the pictures, textures, and gradients are saved as JPEG files and the patterns are saved as GIF files.

Add or change the background color

1. Go to Page Layout > Page Color.

   

2. Do any of the following:

   • Select a from Theme Colors or Standard Colors.

   • Select More Colors and then choose a color.

   • Select Fill Effects to add special effects, such as gradients, patterns, or textures.

     Note: Select the color that you want before you apply a gradient or pattern.

Remove a background

1. Go to Page Layout > Page Color.

   

2. Select No Color.

Change the background color

1. Go to Design > Page Color.

2. Choose the color you want. If you don’t see the color you want, select More Colors and then pick a color from any of the options in the Color box.

   Tips: 

   • To pick a color from a file, select the picture image, click the gear icon, and select New from File.

   • 

Remove the background color

1. Go to Design > Page Color

2. Select No Color.

Now, you have two basic options to add color to your Word documents.

2 Methods to Change Background Color in Microsoft Word

• Using the Default Standard or Theme Colors. 
• Using a Custom Color You can Choose from a Spectrum.

This guide walks you through both these methods. It also covers using gradients, textures, patterns, and pictures as backgrounds.

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Method 1: Using the Default Standard or Theme Colors. 

If you don’t have a particular color in mind, you can conveniently choose from two sets of colors provided in MS Word. These are the Standard Colors and the Theme Colors. 

Here’s how they work. 

Step 1: Open up your MS Word file. 

Step 2: Go to the Design Tab. 

Go ahead and click on the Design tab. The design options should now appear.

Step 3: Open the Page Color Menu. 

Now that you’re on the Design tab, turn your attention to the right side of your screen. Tap on Page Color. That will open a drop-down menu of options you can choose from. 

The grid of colors are Theme Colors.

These change as the document theme changes. The row of colors below the grid are Standard Colors.

You can find more standard colors if you click on More Colors.

Go ahead and pick a color. 

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Method 2: Using a Custom Color You can Choose from a Spectrum. 

You now know how to change the background color of your Word file. But what if none of the standard colors are to your liking? That’s perfectly alright. With this method, you have free reign to choose your background color from a spectrum. 

Here’s how you can change your background to a custom color.

Step 1: Open up your MS Word file. 

Step 2: Go to the Design Tab.

Go ahead and click on the Design tab. The design options should now appear.

Step 3: Open the Page Color Menu. 

Now that you’re on the Design tab, turn your attention to the right side of your screen. Tap on Page Color. That will open a drop-down menu of options you can choose from. Click on More Colors.

Step 4: Choose a Custom Color

In the More Colors window, there are two tabs. Click on the Custom tab. You should be able to see a box of colors, and a bar to its right. Click and drag inside the box to get your desired hue and saturation. Now look to the bar. Moving the slider up and down adjusts the brightness of your color. 

Also, notice that box on the bottom labeled Hex. Hex is a system of codes that represent colors in the RGB format. One code represents one color. This allows you to easily replicate any custom color you have used before. All you have to do is type in the color code into the box. In this illustration, the Hex code is #1F717F. 

Once you’re satisfied with the color you’ve chosen, click OK to apply it to your background. 

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Other Backgrounds 

Aside from solid colors, MS Word also has other options you can use to change your background. You can put a gradient, texture, pattern or picture as the background of your document.

To get started on any of these other backgrounds, first go to your Design tab. Open the Page Color menu and click on Fill Effects.

Gradient Background

A gradient is a gradual and smooth blending from one color to another. For MS Word, you can make a gradient out of any two colors.

Start with opening up the Fill Effects window, and click on the Gradient tab.

To get your gradient, there are two settings you need to configure. These are the Colors and Shading Styles. Let’s go through each of them. 

For your Colors, you can choose between One Color, Two Colors, or a Preset combination of colors. A gradient blends at least two colors. If you choose One Color, your color will blend with its own brightness.

To make it darker, move the slider to the left. Inversely, move the slider to the right to make it lighter.

Shading Style changes the direction your colors blend. Your options are Horizontal, Vertical, Diagonal Up, Diagonal Down, From Corner or From Center.

Find the one that works best for you.

Variants are four combinations made from your choice of colors and shading style. Go ahead and select your gradient.

The small sample box allows you to verify your choice before you apply it to your background.

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Textured Background

This option allows you to have a texture as the background of your document. This allows for more complex colors and shapes. There are default options you can choose from, but you also have the option to upload an image of the texture you want to use. 

First, bring up the Fill Effects window, then go on the Texture tab.

Select a texture you prefer from the given choices. If none of them work for you, click on Other Textures to upload your own preferred texture.

Be mindful of the image size. Images that are too large won’t be uploaded. 

You’ve successfully applied a texture to your background!

Patterned Background

Sometimes, a good patterned background is all you need. Thankfully, MS Word gives you a lot to choose from!  Let’s open up the Fill Effects window to get started, then go to the Pattern tab.

To make your pattern, you need to configure three settings. The Pattern refers to the repetitive design itself.

The Foreground changes the color of the design. The Background is the color behind the design. Fool around with these three settings and see the changes in real-time on the Sample box on the bottom right. 

Once you’re satisfied with your pattern, click OK to apply it to your background.

Picture Background

You can use any picture as a background for your document, however, the options to manipulate the picture are limited. You have to make sure that the picture you upload is the same size as your document page to have the right fit.

If your document is in letter size (8.5” x 11”), then make sure that the picture you upload is also in letter size. 

Let’s get to it. Open up the Fill Effects window, and click on Picture. Click on Select Picture to browse your device. Upload the picture you want to use and verify that it’s the correct picture. If everything is set, click OK to apply the picture to your background.

Shape your Background

All the methods explored in this guide, so far, all apply directly to the entire document. Do you want to be able to control where you put a pattern, texture, color or picture? Do you want to have the flexibility to give every page a different background? If you do, then this is the guide for you.

Shape your background by inserting shapes onto your page. Everything covered above can be applied to individual shapes. Let us show you how.

Add your Shapes and Lay them Out on the Page

The first thing you want to do is insert all the shapes you’ll need. To do that, go to the Insert tab on the Ribbon. Once that’s open, click on Shapes, and choose the shape you want to use.

To make a shape, click and drag your mouse. It doesn’t have to be perfect on the first go. You can change the dimensions of your shape anytime.

Also, don’t fret if you already have texts on the page that are being covered by the shapes. We will address that next.

Wrap Text

This is an important step. Doing this will ensure that the shapes stay in their place behind the text. Take note that you do this step for every shape on your page. 

Start by selecting a shape. Once you do, a new tab appears on the Ribbon. Click on Drawing Tools Format. Look for Wrap Text and click on it to open the drop-down menu. Select Behind Text. This moves the shape behind any texts on your page. It also keeps them in place regardless of what else you type. 

Repeat this step for every shape on the page. 

Decorate your Shapes

This is where you apply everything you’ve learned thus far, Solid Colors, Gradients, Textures, Patterns and Pictures. There are minor changes, but the steps are mostly the same.

Start by selecting a shape. Go to the Drawing Tools Format. Look for the portion of the ribbon that’s labeled Shape Styles. There should be a small symbol on the lower right corner that looks like two ends of an arrow. Click it to open the Format Shapes menu. Once you have that opened, you can decorate any shape as you please. 

Remove the Background Color

If, after trying all these backgrounds, you decide to go back to the default, white, background color. Don’t worry. This is, by far, the easiest guide here, and you’ll have that clean background again in no time!

First, go to your Design tab. Click on Page Color to open up the colors menu, and click on No Color. 

And you’re done! You’ve successfully removed all designs from your background and are back to your default white!

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Conclusion

You have finally arrived at the end of this guide. We hope that we’ve helped you learn how to add some color and design to your MS Word document. 

We hope you found this article helpful!

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Change the background color

1. Go to Design > Page Color.
2. Choose the color you want. If you don’t see the color you want, select More Colors and then pick a color from any of the options in the Color box. Tips: To pick a color from a file, select the picture image, click the gear icon, and select New from File.

Change the Background Color of a Word Document
Go to the Design tab. In Word 2010, go to Page Layout > Page Color. Select Page Color to display a list of color options available as background tints. Select the color you want from Standard Colors or Theme Colors.

How do I change the background to black in Word?

1. To turn on Dark mode in the Word canvas, select File > Account > Office Theme > Black. 2. Once the black theme is set, you can toggle between the black and white page background colors by selecting View > Switch Modes from the ribbon.

How do I put a background on a Word document?

Add or change a background image or watermark

1. Go to Design or Layout, and select Watermark.
2. Select Picture > Select Picture, browse through your image files, and choose the image that you want to use.
3. Select Insert.
4. If you want the background image to show with full color intensity, clear the Washout check box.

How do you put a background color on Microsoft Word 2007?

Open your word document and choose Page Layout on the Ribbon, then select page color to select the background color you want. The nice thing about Word 2007 is you just need to hover the mouse over each color to see a preview of how it will look in the document. Select the background color you want and you are done.

Why is there a GREY highlight on my Word document?

Answer: It is because the text is within a field.If you do not want the text to be in a field, you can unlink the field by pressing Ctrl+Shift+F9 when you have the text selected.

How do I change the background color of one page in Word?

You can’t change the background color of just one page. The background color applies to the whole document. In Microsoft Word 2007 and Microsoft Windows 7 it is quite easy to do. If you have already printed the page you want coloured, draw a ‘text box’ to cover the whole page and click on the ‘fill’ colour you want.

How do you put a background on just one page in Word?

How to apply/insert background image to only one page in Word?

1. Scroll to the specified page you will add background image in, and click View > One Page to show the whole page in the screen.
2. Click Insert > Shapes > Rectangle as below screenshot shown, and then draw a rectangle covering the whole page.

How do I put different backgrounds on different pages in Word?

You’ll use the same Page Color option on the Page Layout tab (in the Page Background group) to add a picture, as follows.

1. Click the Page Color option and choose Fill Effects.
2. Click the Picture tab.
3. Click Select Picture.
4. Locate the picture you want to insert and click Insert.
5. Click OK.

How do I insert a background image in Word Online?

To add a picture to your document background, switch over to the “Design” tab on Word’s Ribbon, and then click the “Page Color” button. In the dropdown menu, click the “Fill Effects” option. In the Fill Effects window, switch to the “Picture” tab, and then click the “Select Picture” button.

How do I change the background on a Word template?

Edit templates

1. Click File > Open.
2. Double-click This PC. (In Word 2013, double-click Computer).
3. Browse to the Custom Office Templates folder that’s under My Documents.
4. Click your template, and click Open.
5. Make the changes you want, then save and close the template.

Which option enable you to change the background Colour of the text?

Text fill option that is available in the Word Art styles from the Format Tab will help you to change the colour of the text that will be inserted in the slide wheras Shape fill option from the Drawings/Shape styles group under Home/Format Tab can be used to apply a colour to the text placeholder that appears to be the

How do I change the highlight color in Word?

Right-click on the text and click the Text Highlight Color drop-down button. Select the color that you prefer from the drop-down menu. There you have it! You’ve just used the Context Menu to change highlight color in Word.

How do I change the background color in Word 2016?

Word 2016: How to Set Background

1. Select the “Design” tab.
2. In the “Page Background” area, select “Page Color“.
3. Choose a desired color.

How do you put a background on Microsoft Word 2007?

Workaround

1. Open the Word 2007 document to which you want to add a watermark.
2. On the Page Layout tab, click Watermark, and then click Printed Watermark.
3. In the Printed Watermark dialog box, click either Picture watermark or Text watermark.
4. Select the picture or the text that you want to use, and then click OK.

How do you remove background color in Word?

Remove the background of a picture

1. Select the picture that you want to remove the background from.
2. Select Picture Format > Remove Background, or Format > Remove Background.
3. The default background area will be colored magenta to mark it for removal, while the foreground will retain its natural coloring.

How do you remove background color in Word 2010?

How to Remove Background Color in Word 2010

1. Click the Page Layout tab.
2. Click the Page Color button.
3. Select the No Color option.

How do I get rid of the blue highlight when typing?

Hi David, you have accidentally pressed the INS[ert] key. This key toggles your PC between insert and overtype mode. The thick blue cursor indicates that it is in overtype mode, so press the INS key again to switch back to the more usual insert mode.

Why are my words highlighted in Word?

What appears to be highlighted text might actually be character shading. There are lots of ways that users can format text in MS Word. As such, try removing the highlighting by selecting the text and clicking the Clear Formatting option on the Home tab.

How do I GREY out text in Word?

Select and highlight the text box, and then select your preferred shape style for the text box. To apply a gray fill color, click the “Shape Fill” button and click on your preferred shade of gray in the color-picker tool.

Why can’t I remove shading in Word?

It sounds like shading was applied to a part of a paragraph. It is then character formatting and Ctrl+spacebar will clear it. If shading is applied to the entire paragraph, it’s paragraph formatting. Ctrl+spacebar won’t remove it, but Ctrl+q will.

The default white background color for Microsoft Word documents provides the best level of contrast for most people. Unfortunately, it also has the tendency to blind you if you’re doing some late-night text editing. In such situations, knowing how to change background color in Word or insert a custom image can be very useful.

If you work in marketing or are creating a brochure, a Word background image can do a lot of the heavy lifting visually. Though they can risk looking tacky, a well thought out, subtle background image texture can bring a document to the next level.

That said, you should bear in mind that when you add a color or background for a Word document it will apply globally. That is, every page will have the same color or design. As a result, you may want to check that it doesn’t clash with the position or colors of any of your text before you proceed. Let’s get started:

How to Add a Word Background Image

How to Add a Backrgound Image Texture in Word

If you enjoyed customizing your Microsoft Word, you may want to try our Windows 10 screensaver tutorial. If you don’t own Word, or need to open a .doc file on the go, read our alternatives guide.