How to Add Backgrounds to PDFs in Adobe Acrobat (Updated Interface and Legacy)

This tutorial shows how to add backgrounds to PDFs in Adobe Acrobat. First, we will look at how to add background colors, then we will look at how to add background images.

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These steps are for the new interface introduced to Adobe Acrobat Pro in 2023 as well as the older interface from Adobe Acrobat 2020, Adobe Acrobat 2017, and versions of Adobe Acrobat Pro that have not been updated.

In addition, the steps are the same for PC and Mac users. These steps don’t apply to Adobe’s free PDF display software, Adobe Reader.

How to Add a Background

Current Interface

Open the PDF.
Select All Tools in the toolbar.
Select Edit a PDF in the Tools menu.

Edit a PDF in the All Tools menu in Adobe Acrobat — Figure 1. Edit a PDF option

Select the More link.

More link in the Edit menu in Adobe Acrobat — Figure 2. More link

Select the Background option.
Select Add from the submenu.

Add Background in the Edit menu in Adobe Acrobat — Figure 3. Add Background option

Older Interface (Acrobat 2020, Acrobat 2017, Non-Updated Adobe Acrobat Pro)

Open the PDF.
Select the Tools tab.
Select Edit PDF in the Tools Center.

Edit PDF in the Tools Center in Adobe Acrobat (Old Interface) — Figure 4. Edit PDF button (Older Interface)

Select More in the Edit PDF toolbar.
Select Background from the drop-down menu.
Select Add from the submenu.

Add Background in the Edit PDF toolbar in Adobe Acrobat (Old Interface) — Figure 5. Add Background option (Older Interface)

How to Add a Background Color

Select From color in the Add Background dialog box.
Select the color picker.
Choose a color from the drop-down menu.
(Optional) Select Other Color to add a custom color.

Color options in the Add Background dialog box in Adobe Acrobat — Figure 6. Color options

Select a color in the Color dialog box display or add values into the text boxes.
Select the OK button.

Color dialog box in Adobe Acrobat — Figure 7. Custom color options

Important Note: You can only add a background color or a background image, not both.

How to Add a Background Image

Select File in the Add Background dialog box.
Select the Browse button.

File option in the Add Background dialog box in Adobe Acrobat — Figure 8. File option

Locate and select a PDF, JPEG, or BMP image from the Open dialog box.
Select the Open button.

Open dialog box in Adobe Acrobat — Figure 9. Open dialog box

How to Customize the Background

Use the appearance and position options to customize the appearance.

Appearance and Position options in the Add Background dialog box in Adobe Acrobat — Figure 10. Appearance and Position options

(Optional) Select the Appearance Options link to select or deselect the Show when printing and Show when displaying on screen options.
Select the OK button.

Appearance Options dialog box in Adobe Acrobat — Figure 11. Appearance Options link and dialog box

(Optional) Select the Page Range Options link.
Select Pages from and then enter a page range into the text boxes.
Select All pages in range, Even pages only, or Odd pages only from the Subset menu.
Select the OK button.

Page Range Options in Adobe Acrobat — Figure 12. Page Range Options

(Optional) Select Apply to Multiple Files if you want to add the same background to other PDFs. However, review those PDFs afterward because the process may produce unexpected results if they do not have the same number of pages or formatting as the current PDF.
Select the OK button.

OK and Apply to Multiple Files buttons in the Add Background dialog box in Adobe Acrobat — Figure 13. OK and Apply to Multiple Files buttons

Pro Tip: You can return to the Background drop-down menu to update or delete backgrounds.

Update and Remove background options in Adobe Acrobat — Figure 15. Update and Remove options

Related Resources

How to Insert and Modify Images in PDFs with Adobe Acrobat

How to Add and Format Text in PDFs with Adobe Acrobat