How to Change the Page Background Colour in Microsoft Word

While most Microsoft Word documents are printed on standard white paper, digital-first documents—such as e-books, PDF brochures, or digital invitations—often benefit from a coloured background. Instead of drawing a massive coloured rectangle shape and placing it behind your text, Microsoft Word includes a dedicated feature to change the actual canvas colour of the document itself. This ensures the colour extends perfectly to the edges without formatting headaches.

How to Change the Page Colour

Changing the background canvas colour is handled through the design layout tools, not the standard text formatting ribbon.

1. Open your document in Microsoft Word.
2. Look at the ribbon menu at the top of the window and click on the Design tab.
3. Look towards the far right side of the Design ribbon for a section labelled “Page Background”.
4. Click on the Page Color button (represented by a small paint bucket icon).
5. A drop-down palette will appear. You have several options:
   • Theme Colors & Standard Colors: Click any of the pre-set colour squares to instantly apply it to the background.
   • No Color: Select this to revert the page back to the default white.
   • More Colors…: Click this to open a detailed colour wheel where you can input specific RGB or Hex codes for brand accuracy.
   • Fill Effects…: This advanced option allows you to apply gradients, textures (like parchment), or even set a tiled picture as the background.
6. Once you click your desired colour, the entire document background will change instantly.

Important Note Regarding Printing

By default, Microsoft Word does not print background colours. It assumes you are using coloured paper in your physical printer, and it refuses to waste ink trying to print a solid page of colour.

If you genuinely want your desktop printer to print the background colour you just selected, you must force Word to do so. Go to File > Options > Display. Under the “Printing options” section, check the box labelled Print background colors and images, then click OK. Be warned: this will consume a massive amount of printer ink.