Editor's annotation: In the video, Brandon Vigliarolo uses Microsoft Office 365 and walks through the steps of adding colors or images to the groundwork of your Word documents. In the following tutorial, Susan Harkins explains the process when using Give-and-take 2010. This article was first published in December 2011 and was updated in March 2019.

Most documents are rather ho-hum–the same blackness text on a white groundwork. That'southward the way it should be though considering almost documents don't require special graphics and colors. All the same, when a document requires more than, Word offers many visual possibilities. For case, you might want to modify the background's colour or even use a motion-picture show as the document'due south background. Both are easy to reach, technically speaking, and in this article, I'll prove you how to practise both.

Go on in mind that adding a background color or picture to a certificate is much easier than designing a visually effective document. I'll share just the mechanical process; how you implement the feature is up to you.

I'm using Function 365 Word (desktop) on a Windows 10 64-chip arrangement, merely y'all tin use older versions. Yous'll observe these options on the Design tab in the Page Background group. (In earlier versions, look for the Page Layout tab.) The browser edition doesn't support the groundwork characteristic.

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Add together colour

Adding a chip of color is probably the easiest style to liven up an otherwise wearisome document. You might decide to add together a sedate color to a promotional letter or resume. To add color to a document's background, you lot'll work from the Design tab, equally follows.

  1. Click Page Color in the Folio Background grouping.
  2. Choose a color from the gallery (palette) as shown in Figure A.

Effigy A

It doesn't go much easier than that. You can click More than Colors to fine-tune a gallery color. Choose No Colour to remove a colored background.

Although simple, you lot could create some ghastly backgrounds. There'due south a lot to consider when introducing color into a document. Color-wise, there are several attributes, hue, blush, and so on.

Your chief consideration should be legibility. In that regard, contrast is normally the most of import factor: the higher the dissimilarity, the more than legible the text. It as well adds to the layers of separation, equally shown in the illustration in Effigy B. The more than contrast, the more than depth, which improves readability. I'm not suggesting that you accept a crayon-box attitude to your documents though. This illustration is just that, an illustration–non a recommendation for these particular colors.

Figure B

Limiting your choices will produce the all-time results. Limit your color palette to two or three colors. Use unlike shades (hue) and saturation (chroma) to add variation. And remember, even in digital class, there's zilch incorrect with a white background.

Add a picture

The process for adding a motion picture to a document's groundwork is similar to inserting a moving picture into an AutoShape–you use the Fill Effects option.

Note:This characteristic has the potential to produce more than ghastly results, so just because you can add a picture doesn't hateful you should.

You'll use the same Page Color option on the Page Layout tab (in the Page Background group) to add together a film, equally follows.

  1. Click the Page Colour choice and choose Fill Effects.
  2. Click the Picture tab.
  3. Click Select Picture.
  4. Locate the movie y'all want to insert and click Insert.
  5. Click OK.

Figure C

Figure C shows an interesting background that might piece of work well with the right subject thing, but information technology presents quite a claiming. What color font would you use? How much text could you lot add together? Balancing all the requirements takes skill, but almost of u.s.a. can learn those skills with the right preparation. If you alter your mind, it'south easy to remove, albeit non intuitive: Choose No Color from the Page Color dropdown.

As I mentioned, calculation color or a moving picture to a document's groundwork is easy. Producing a visually effective document takes specialized knowledge.

Send me your question about Office

I answer readers' questions when I tin can, but at that place'southward no guarantee. Don't transport files unless requested; initial requests for assist that arrive with fastened files will exist deleted unread. You tin can ship screenshots of your data to help analyze your question. When contacting me, be equally specific as possible. For example, "Delight troubleshoot my workbook and fix what's wrong" probably won't go a response, but "Tin can you tell me why this formula isn't returning the expected results?" might. Please mention the app and version that you're using. I'm non reimbursed past TechRepublic for my fourth dimension or expertise when helping readers, nor exercise I ask for a fee from readers I help. You lot can contact me at susansalesharkins@gmail.com.

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