How to Change the Background Color in Word (Page Color)

A soft cream page for a flyer, a branded colour behind a one-page offer, a pale grey that makes a long report easier on the eyes: a background colour can lift a plain document. Word calls it Page Color, and it lives on a different tab from most formatting, which is why people spend ages looking for it on the Home tab.

Adding a page colour in Word

1. Open your document and go to the Design tab.
2. Select Page Color.
3. Choose a colour under Theme Colors or Standard Colors. Hover over a swatch to preview it.
4. If none suit, select More Colors and pick or mix your own.

Those are Microsoft's steps for Word on Windows and Mac. The colour covers every page in the document, not just the one you're on.

Gradients, textures and pictures

Under Page Color, Fill Effects opens more options: Gradient, Texture, Pattern and Picture. Microsoft says patterns and textures are repeated, or tiled, to fill the page. A picture background can look striking on a cover page but busy behind body text, so use it sparingly.

Option	What it does	Best for
Theme or Standard colour	One flat colour on every page	Simple branded documents
More Colors	Any custom shade	Matching a brand colour
Gradient	A blend between colours	Covers and title pages
Texture or Pattern	A repeating tile	Decorative invitations
Picture	An image behind the page	Flyers, used lightly

Matching your brand colour

If you've got a brand colour, select More Colors, then the Custom tab, and enter its values. Pale versions of a brand colour usually work better than the full-strength shade behind text. A light tint keeps the brand feel and still lets people read comfortably.

Changing the background in Word for the web

In the browser version, Microsoft puts it under Layout rather than Design. Go to Layout, Page Color, and choose under Page Colors or Standard Colors. No Color removes it, the same as in the desktop app.

Page colour versus Dark Mode

This is where people get confused. Dark Mode in Word turns the page dark on your screen, but Microsoft says your document still prints with the light page colour, whatever your Dark Mode setting. So Dark Mode is a viewing preference for you; Page Color is part of the document that everyone else sees. If someone tells you your document has a black background and you didn't set one, they're probably looking at it in Dark Mode.

Will the background print?

Here's the catch most people miss: a page colour that looks lovely on screen doesn't always come out of the printer, because Word's print settings can leave background colours out. If you need it on paper, check Word's print options for background colours and images before you print, and do a single test page. For something you'll print in bulk, such as a flyer, a coloured border or a filled shape can be more dependable than a full page colour, and kinder on ink too.

Shading one paragraph instead of the page

If you only want colour behind a heading or a short callout, Page Color is the wrong tool, because it fills every page. Put the text in a text box or shape and give that a fill colour instead. You control its size and position, and Microsoft's Format Shape pane has a Fill & Line section where you can change or remove the fill later. It's my go-to for a coloured offer box in the middle of an otherwise plain page.

Removing a background colour

1. Go to Design, Page Color (or Layout, Page Color in Word for the web).
2. Select No Color.

If a colour stays behind just part of the text, it isn't a page colour; it's been applied to the text or a box rather than the page. Select that text or box and remove the colour there.

Readability and accessibility

A background colour changes how easy your document is to read. Dark text on a pale background is the safe choice. If you go darker, switch the text to white or a very light colour, and check the contrast. If you're doing the same job in Google's editor, my guide to changing the background colour in Google Docs covers the equivalent steps. And for CVs, I'd keep the page white; my guide to formatting a resume in Word explains why plain backgrounds tend to work better with recruiters.

Saving a coloured document for the web or email

If you save a Word document as a web page, Microsoft says textures are saved as JPEG files and patterns and gradients as PNG files alongside it. For most small business uses, though, you'll be sending a PDF or the Word file itself. Open the PDF before you send it to check the colour came through the way you expected, and remember that the person opening your Word file in Dark Mode will see their own dark view on screen, not your colour.

My take

Design, Page Color, pick a pale shade, and you're done. Use Fill Effects for covers, Shading for single paragraphs, and test-print anything that's going on paper. I'd keep strong colours for flyers and covers, and give body text a light background people can read without squinting.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Page Color in Word?

On the Design tab in Word for Windows and Mac, and on the Layout tab in Word for the web.

How do I remove the background colour in Word?

Go to Page Color and select No Color.

Why is my Word document black on screen?

Dark Mode may be on. Microsoft says it changes the screen only, and the document prints with the light page colour.

Can I use a picture as a Word background?

Yes. Go to Page Color, Fill Effects, then the Picture tab, and choose an image.

Why won't my background colour print?

Word's print options can leave background colours out. Check them and print a test page first.