Changing the Document Page Color

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated January 20, 2024)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365

Cheryl wonders how to change the white background shown for pages to another color that would be easier on her eyes. There are a couple of options to change the background color. The first option allows you to change the background color to whatever you would like. Keep in mind that the color you choose is a part of the document and is visible when sharing the file. It does not show up when printed, however.

Make sure the Page Layout tab (Word 2007 and Word 2010) or Design tab (Word 2013 and later versions) of the ribbon is displayed.
Click the Page Color tool within the Page Background group. Word displays a palette of colors from which you can choose.
Choose the color you would like to use for your background.

The color you selected is now the background color for your document. The color applies only to the current document, and remember that the color won't print.

If you want to have a different background color for all of your documents (well, at least from this point going forward), you can change the color in your Normal template. For existing documents you'll need to change the background color in each of them individually.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (8021) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. Learn more about Allen...

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