Why Word Doesn’t Print Background Colors Despite the Page Color Setting

You set a page background color in Word using Design > Page Color, but it does not appear when you print the document. This happens because Word treats page background colors as a screen-only effect by default. The feature is designed to reduce ink and toner usage, so the background color is suppressed during printing. This article explains the technical reason for this behavior and provides the exact steps to force Word to print the background color.

Why Word Suppresses Page Background Colors During Printing

Word separates screen display settings from print output settings. The Page Color option under the Design tab applies a background color to every page in the document for on-screen preview purposes. However, the default print profile in Word treats this background as a non-essential visual element to conserve ink and toner. This is especially important for black-and-white printers or users who print large documents, as a full-page background color can quickly drain a cartridge.

The setting that controls this behavior is located in two places: Word’s global Display options and the per-document Page Setup dialog. Both must be configured correctly for the background color to appear in the printed output. Without changing these settings, any page color you apply will remain visible only on screen.

How Word’s Print Engine Handles Background Colors

Word uses the Windows Graphics Device Interface to render pages for printing. By default, the GDI ignores the page background fill when generating the print job. This is not a bug but a deliberate design choice to match the behavior of most business printers, which expect white paper as the base. The background color is treated as a layer that can be omitted without affecting text or image content.

Steps to Enable Printing of Page Background Colors

You must enable the background print setting in two locations. The first setting is global and affects all documents. The second setting is document-specific and overrides the printer driver’s ink-saving defaults.

1. Open Word’s Display Options
   Click File > Options. In the Word Options dialog, select the Display category on the left side. Under Printing options, locate the checkbox labeled Print background colors and images. Check this box and click OK.
2. Verify the Document-Specific Printer Setting
   Press Ctrl+P to open the Print dialog. At the bottom of the Print pane, click Page Setup. In the Page Setup dialog, click the Paper tab. Under the section labeled Print options, check the box for Print background colors. Click OK.
3. Preview the Output Before Printing
   In the Print pane, look at the preview thumbnail on the right. If the background color appears in the preview, it will print. If the preview still shows a white background, go back to Step 1 and confirm that the checkbox is saved.
4. Print a Test Page
   Print one page to confirm the color appears on paper. Use File > Print > Print One Copy if you are unsure about the result.

Alternative Method: Use a Shape as a Background

If the above settings do not work due to printer driver restrictions, you can insert a full-page colored shape behind your content. This method forces the color into the print stream because shapes are treated as foreground objects.

1. Insert a Rectangle Shape
   Go to Insert > Shapes and select the Rectangle tool. Draw a rectangle that covers the entire page area. Set the shape fill to your desired color using Shape Fill in the Shape Format tab.
2. Send the Shape Behind Text
   Right-click the shape and choose Wrap Text > Behind Text. The shape will sit behind all text and images on the page.
3. Copy the Shape to All Pages
   Select the shape and press Ctrl+C. Go to each page and press Ctrl+V. For long documents, use the header/footer trick: cut the shape, double-click the header area, paste the shape there, and set it to appear on all pages.

If the Background Color Still Does Not Print

Word Prints White Instead of the Selected Color

This occurs when the printer driver is set to grayscale or black-and-white mode. Open the printer properties from File > Print > Printer Properties. Look for a Color or Color/Mono setting and change it to Color. If the printer is monochrome, the background color will print as a gray shade.

The Print Preview Shows the Color but the Paper Does Not

Some inkjet printers have a draft mode that omits background fills. In the Print dialog, click Printer Properties and set the print quality to Normal or Best. Draft mode often skips large colored areas to save ink.

Only the First Page Prints With a Background

Word’s page color setting applies to all pages equally. If only the first page prints with color, the shape method was used but the shape was not copied to subsequent pages. Verify that the shape appears on every page in Print Layout view.

Page Color vs. Other Colored Elements: Printing Behavior Differences

Item	Page Color (Design Tab)	Shape Fill / Table Shading / Highlight
Default print behavior	Does not print	Prints by default
Setting required to print	File > Options > Display and Page Setup	None needed
Consumes printer ink	Yes, when enabled	Yes
Affected by grayscale mode	Yes, prints as gray	Yes, prints as gray

You can now print a Word document with the page background color visible on paper. After enabling the Print background colors and images checkbox in File > Options > Display, verify the preview in the Print pane. If you frequently print colored backgrounds, consider using a colored shape instead, which bypasses Word’s ink-saving defaults entirely. For documents that require consistent color across both screen and paper, test each page in Print Preview before sending the full job to the printer.