How to Change the Page Background Color in Microsoft Word

This tutorial shows how to change the page background color in Microsoft Word. In addition, we will look at how to print Word documents with their background color.

Plus, the Pro Tip at the end shows a workaround to change the background color on specific pages in your Word document.

Quick Links:

How to Change the Page Background Color
How to Print Documents with a Page Background Color
Pro Tip: Workaround to Change the Page Background Color on Specific Pages

This tutorial is available as a YouTube video showing all the steps in real time.

Watch more than 150 other writing-related software tutorials on my YouTube channel.

Are you on a Mac? Please see “How to Change the Page Background Color in Word for Mac.”

The images below are from Word for Microsoft 365. These steps also apply to Word 2021, Word 2019, Word 2016, and Word 2013.

How to Change the Page Background Color

These steps will change the page background color for your entire document. If you want to change the page background color for a specific page, please see the Pro Tip below.

Select the Design tab in the ribbon.

Design tab in Word 365 — Figure 1. Design tab

Select the Page Color button in the Page Background group.

Page Color button in the Design tab in Word 365 — Figure 2. Design tab

Choose a color from the drop-down menu.

Page Color menu in the Design tab in Word 365 — Figure 3. Page Color menu

3.a. (Alternative) Select More Colors in the Page Color menu, and then choose advanced color options from the Colors dialog box.

Colors dialog box in Word 365 — Figure 4. Colors dialog box

3.b. (Alternative) Select Fill Effects in the Page Color menu, and then choose advanced gradient, texture, pattern, or picture options from the Fill Effects dialog box.

Fill Effects dialog box in Word 365 — Figure 5. Fill Effects dialog box

After making your choice, your page background color should change immediately.

If you want to remove the page background color, reselect the Page Color button (see figure 2), and then select No Color from the drop-down menu (see figure 3).

How to Print Documents with a Page Background Color

By default, your Word options are usually set to print documents without page background colors because they require a lot of printer ink. However, you can print the page background colors if you want to.

You can also use these steps if you want to prevent your Word document from printing page background colors.

Important Note: When printing page background colors, there will usually be a white margin around the page because most printers can’t print from edge to edge.

Select the File tab in the ribbon.

File tab in Word 365 — Figure 6. File tab

Select Options in the Backstage view.

Options tab in the Backstage view in Word 365 — Figure 7. Options tab

Select the Display tab in the Word Options dialog box.

Display tab in the Word Options dialog box in Word 365 — Figure 8. Display tab

Select Print background colors and images. Alternatively, uncheck this option if you do not want background colors to print.

The “images” mentioned in the option refer to images used as page backgrounds, not images inserted into your text.

"Print background colors and images" in the Word Options dialog box in Word 365 — Figure 9. Print background colors and images option

Select the OK button.

OK button in the Word Options dialog box in Word 365 — Figure 10. OK button

Continue to print your document as you normally would.

Pro Tip: Workaround to Change the Page Background Color on Specific Pages

Word doesn’t currently provide an official way to change the page background color on specific pages. However, we can use the rectangle shape as a quick workaround.

Important Note: The shapes used in this workaround don’t become part of the page background. Therefore, they will print as normal images inserted into your text.

Reduce the zoom on your screen so that you can see the whole page on your screen.

Zoom reduced to show whole page in Word 365 — Figure 11. Zoom reduced to show whole page

Select the Insert tab in the ribbon.

Insert tab in Word 365 — Figure 12. Insert tab

Select the Shapes button in the Illustrations group.

Shapes button in the Insert tab in Word 365 — Figure 13. Shapes button

Select the rectangle shape from the drop-down menu.

Rectangles in the Shapes menu in Word 365 — Figure 14. Rectangle shape

Drag a rectangle over the entire page. (The rectangle will appear translucent blue when dragged.)

Rectangle dragged over page in Word 365 — Figure 15. Rectangle dragged over page

Select the Shape Fill menu arrow in the Shape Styles group.

Shape Fill menu arrow in the Insert tab in Word 365 — Figure 16. Shape Fill menu arrow

Select a color from the drop-down menu. Alternatively, select More Fill Colors, Picture, Gradient, or Texture for additional options. (I selected Blue, Accent 1.)