Get your color codes ready
Have your palette's codes handy. If you don't have one, create it with our palette generator.
Recent versions of Word accept hex codes. Older ones only accept RGB. To convert, use our color converter. For example, #7B3FA0 equals RGB 123, 63, 160.
Change the text color
- Select the text.
- On the Home tab, open the Font Color menu (the letter A with a colored bar).
- Choose More Colors… and go to the Custom tab.
- Type the code in the Hex field or, if it isn't there, the RGB values.
- Click OK.
To avoid repeating this step, save the color in a style. Right-click a style, like Heading 1, choose Modify and change the color. Every heading with that style will update.
Change the page color
- Go to the Design tab.
- Click Page Color.
- Pick a color or open More Colors to use your code.
By default, Word doesn't print the page color. To print it, go to File, Options, Display and turn on Print background colors and images.
Use very soft page colors, like cream or very light gray, so reading stays comfortable.
Create theme colors in Word
Theme colors are the document's palette. They appear at the top of every color menu and apply to headings, tables, charts and SmartArt.
- Go to the Design tab.
- Click Colors and choose Customize Colors….
- Assign your text, background, accent and hyperlink colors.
- Type a name and click Save.
To use these colors every time, save the document as a Word template (.dotx). You can also use Set as Default, in the Document Formatting group on the Design tab.
Tips for clear documents
- Use dark body text, black or very dark gray, on a white background.
- Save color for headings, links and highlighted elements.
- Use one brand color for headings and another for details.
- Avoid long passages in light or very saturated colors. Check the contrast with our contrast checker.
- If the document will be printed in black and white, make sure the colors are still distinguishable as grays.
- Don't use color alone to convey important information. Pair it with text or bold.