Word doc hack: How to add color or a picture to your background

If you’re bored with the basic Word background, you can use this hack to add some color or an image of your choice to your Word document’s background. It works on all versions of Word 2007 and 2016, as well as Word 2013, 2010, and 2007 on Windows computers. The steps might be slightly different if you’re using the Mac version of Word, but you should still be able to follow along with some slight modifications to the instructions below!

Click File in the upper left-hand corner

If you want to get a little fancier with your Word docs, you can add some color or even a picture to the background. Here’s how:

Click File in the upper left hand corner.
Then click Options in the column on the left.
In the Word Options dialog box, click Advanced in the left hand column.
Scroll down to the Display section and select an option under Print Layout view. Your options are Print background colors and images (to print them), Print transparent backgrounds (to print the text but show whatever is behind it) or Do not print backgrounds (to remove them).
Choose one of these options, then close out of all windows by clicking OK in each window until you reach the desktop again.

Under Page Setup, choose Page Color Options

Open the Page Layout tab, then click the small icon in the bottom-right corner of the Page Setup group. This will open the Page Color Options dialog box. From here, you can select any color you want for your document’s background. Or, if you prefer, you can select a picture from your computer to use as the background. To do this, click the Picture button and choose an image file.

Once you’ve made your selection, click OK to apply it to your document. You’ll see the new background change automatically onscreen. If you don’t like what you see, just go back and make another choice! And if you want to undo the changes, simply close out of Word without saving.

Let’s say you’ve created a Word document that has five blank pages—but no heading on the first page. That’s when you might be wondering how to get Word to number pages so that they’re easy to refer back to later on.

Choose Background Image.

Adding a bit of color or personality to your Word document doesn’t have to be difficult. In fact, with a few simple clicks, you can add either a solid color, gradient, texture, pattern, or even a picture as the background of your document. Here’s how Click on Design at the top and then click on Page Background in the submenu that appears. You’ll see four tabs at the top, each for a different type of background image.

Under Solid Colors, choose one of the colors listed; under Gradients, select from any number of preset gradients or create your own; under Textures choose from various textures such as canvas and burlap; under Patterns choose from over twenty patterns ranging from stripes to plaid. To add a photo, just drag it into the space where it says Drag an Image Here. If you want to move the photo around, double-click on it and use your mouse to place it where you want. When you’re done editing your document’s background, save it by clicking File>Save As and naming the file accordingly.

After you save it as a Word file, simply edit it as you would any other Word file.

Adding color or a picture to your Word document’s background is a great way to personalize it and make it stand out. Plus, it’s easy to do! Here’s how to do it in four simple steps:

Open the Word file you want to edit
Go to Page Layout on the top left corner of the screen
Click on Background > Fill with Color
Select a color from the list below or click More Colors at the bottom of the window and pick one from there
Once you have selected a color for your background, type something in the text box on the right side of the screen
You can also change colors throughout the document by clicking on different parts of your text
Save as usual and enjoy your new colorful or illustrated Word doc!