How to Add Color to Page Background in Word

Adding a color to the page background in Word can make a document stand out. A colored background is useful for flyers, posters, or internal reports where a plain white page looks too basic. This feature changes the entire page color behind the text and other content. This article explains how to apply a solid color, a gradient, a texture, or a pattern to the page background in Word.

Overview of the Page Color Feature

The Page Color feature in Word changes the background color of every page in the current section. It is part of the Page Background group on the Design tab. You can apply a solid color from the theme or standard palette. For more variety, the Fill Effects dialog offers gradients, textures, patterns, and even a custom picture. The background color does not affect text readability if you choose a light color. Dark backgrounds may require white or light text to remain readable. Page color applies to the whole document by default, but you can limit it to a specific section by inserting section breaks.

Prerequisites

No special software or add-ins are required. The feature works in Word for Microsoft 365, Word 2021, Word 2019, and earlier versions. The steps are identical across these versions. You need a document open in Word. If you want to print the background, you must enable a specific setting in the Word options.

Steps to Add a Solid Page Color

1. Open the Design tab
   Click the Design tab on the ribbon at the top of the Word window. The Design tab contains the Page Background group.
2. Click Page Color
   In the Page Background group, click Page Color. A color palette drops down with Theme Colors and Standard Colors.
3. Select a color
   Click any color swatch to apply it to the page background. The page immediately shows the new color. To remove the color, click No Color at the top of the palette.

Steps to Add a Gradient, Texture, Pattern, or Picture Background

1. Open Fill Effects
   On the Design tab, click Page Color, then click Fill Effects at the bottom of the palette. The Fill Effects dialog box opens.
2. Choose a tab for the effect type
   The dialog has four tabs: Gradient, Texture, Pattern, and Picture. Click the tab for the effect you want to use.
3. Set gradient options
   On the Gradient tab, choose one color or two colors. Select a shading style from Horizontal, Vertical, Diagonal up, Diagonal down, From corner, or From center. Adjust the variant preview and click OK.
4. Set texture options
   On the Texture tab, click a texture swatch from the list. Word includes textures such as papyrus, marble, and denim. Click OK to apply.
5. Set pattern options
   On the Pattern tab, pick a pattern style from the grid. Choose a foreground color and a background color. Click OK.
6. Set a picture background
   On the Picture tab, click Select Picture. Browse to an image file on your computer or search online. Select the image and click Insert, then click OK. The image tiles across the entire page background.

How to Print the Page Background

By default, Word does not print page background colors or images. To print them, you must change an option.

1. Open Word Options
   Click File > Options. The Word Options dialog box opens.
2. Go to Display settings
   In the left pane, click Display.
3. Enable background printing
   Under Printing options, check the box Print background colors and images. Click OK.
4. Print the document
   Press Ctrl+P to open the Print dialog. The page background now appears in the print preview and will print on paper.

Common Mistakes, Limitations, and Things to Avoid

Page Color Does Not Print

The most common complaint is that the page color looks correct on screen but does not print. This happens because the printing option is off by default. Follow the steps in the previous section to enable printing of background colors and images. Note that some printers or ink settings may still skip background colors to save ink. Check your printer preferences and select a higher quality print mode if needed.

Dark Background Makes Text Hard to Read

Applying a dark or very bright page color can make black text difficult to read. If you use a dark background, change the text color to white or a light shade. Select all text by pressing Ctrl+A, then on the Home tab click the Font Color button and choose white or a light color. For a gradient or picture background, test readability on screen and in print before finalizing.

Page Color Applies to the Whole Document

When you set a page color, it applies to the entire document. To apply different backgrounds to different pages, insert section breaks. Place the cursor where you want a new section to start. On the Layout tab, click Breaks and choose a section break type such as Next Page. Then, with the cursor in the new section, set a different page color. The color change only affects that section.

Picture Background Looks Pixelated or Distorted

Word tiles the selected picture to fill the entire page. If the image is small, it repeats many times and may look pixelated. Use an image that is at least 800 x 600 pixels for a standard letter page. For best results, use a high-resolution image that matches the page aspect ratio. You cannot stretch the image to a single full-page background using the Fill Effects dialog. For a single full-page image, insert a picture and set it behind the text instead.

Page Background Methods: Fill Effects vs Inserted Picture Comparison

Item	Fill Effects Dialog	Inserted Picture Behind Text
Access	Design > Page Color > Fill Effects	Insert > Pictures, then set Wrap Text to Behind Text
Tiling behavior	Tiles the image to fill the page	Single image, can be resized and positioned freely
Printing	Requires Print background colors and images option	Prints by default if the image is not set to not print
Effects available	Solid color, gradient, texture, pattern, picture	Only a single picture, but can apply picture effects like shadows
Section-specific	Yes, via section breaks	Yes, can be placed on any page individually

You can now add a solid color, gradient, texture, pattern, or picture to the page background in Word. Use the Design tab and the Fill Effects dialog to choose the effect you need. For printed documents, remember to enable the Print background colors and images option in File > Options > Display. An advanced tip: use a light gradient with two similar colors for a professional look that prints well on most printers.