Where to find the text background tool in your editor
Text background color — sometimes called highlighting — lives in a different place depending on which program you use. In Microsoft Word, it's the marker icon in the Home tab. In Google Docs, it's under the Format menu or the paint bucket icon in the toolbar. In Apple Pages, it's in the Format panel on the right side. The function is the same everywhere: it puts a colored box behind your text without changing the text color itself.
Most editors let you explore background color to a single word, a sentence, a paragraph, or the whole document. You select the text first, then choose the color. Some programs also let you set a default background color for new text, though this is less common and usually not what you want.
Key Takeaways
- Select the text you want to highlight, then use the highlighting or background color tool — usually a marker icon or paint bucket — to choose your color.
- Word, Google Docs, Pages, and most other editors include a small palette of preset colors, but you can usually pick any color you want by selecting a custom option.
- Removing background color is as straightforward as selecting the text and choosing "no color" or "none" from the same tool.
- Background color does not change how text prints or exports to PDF unless you specifically remove it before saving.
How to highlight text in Microsoft Word
Open your document and select the text you want to highlight. Click the Home tab if you are not already there. Look for the marker icon with a small arrow next to it — this is the Highlighting tool. Click the arrow to open the color palette and choose your color. If you want to use the same color again, you can click the marker icon itself without opening the menu.
To remove highlighting, select the text again, open the Highlighting menu, and choose "No Color." You can also select multiple separate pieces of text by holding Ctrl (or Command on Mac) while clicking, then explore the same color to all of them at once.
How to highlight text in Google Docs
Select the text you want to highlight. Click Format in the menu bar, then choose Text highlight color. A small palette appears with color options. Click the color you want. Alternatively, if you see a paint bucket icon in your toolbar, you can click the arrow next to it and select a color directly — this is faster if you use highlighting often.
To remove highlighting in Google Docs, select the text, open the highlight color menu again, and click the X or "None" option. Google Docs remembers your last color choice, so if you highlight multiple sections the same way, you only need to open the menu once.
How to highlight text in Apple Pages
Select the text you want to highlight. On the right side of the screen, click the Format button (it looks like a paintbrush). Under the Text section, look for the highlight color option — it may be labeled "Highlight" or shown as a colored square. Click it to open the color picker and choose your color.
If the Format panel is not visible, click Format in the menu bar at the top, then select Show Format Panel. Pages also lets you change the text color and background color separately, so make sure you are clicking the right option.
Choosing and customizing colors
Most editors come with a preset palette of 5 to 10 colors — usually yellow, green, blue, pink, and a few others. These are fine for basic highlighting, but if you need a specific shade or want to match your document's color scheme, you can usually pick a custom color. In Word, click the arrow next to Highlighting and look for "More Colors." In Google Docs, the color palette includes a custom color option at the bottom. In Pages, click the color square and use the color picker that appears.
Custom colors are useful if you are using background color to code different types of information — for example, one shade for definitions, another for examples, another for warnings. Stick to light colors so the text stays readable. Dark backgrounds with dark text are hard to read and look unprofessional.
What happens when you print or export
Background color prints and exports to PDF by default in most programs. If you do not want the color to appear in the printed version, you need to remove it before printing. In Word, you can also use Print Preview to see how it will look before you send it to the printer. Google Docs shows you a preview in the print dialog.
If you are exporting to a different format — like converting a Word document to PDF or a Google Doc to an Excel file — background color usually comes along, but some formats handle it differently. Test a small section first if you are unsure, or remove the highlighting before exporting if you want a clean version without it.
When background color does not work the way you expect
If you select text and the highlighting tool is grayed out, the document may be in a read-only mode or protected. Check that you have editing permission. If you are working in a shared document, someone else may have locked it. In Google Docs, look for a "Suggest" button at the top right — if it is active, you are in suggestion mode and cannot make direct edits.
If the color looks different on screen than it does in print, your printer may not be set to print colors. Check your printer settings and make sure "Print Colors" or "Color" is selected instead of "Grayscale" or "Black and White." Some printers also have a setting for background colors specifically — check your printer's manual if the color still does not appear.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I highlight text in a PDF?
Most PDF readers let you add highlights and notes, but this creates a layer on top of the PDF rather than changing the original file. If you need to edit the actual PDF text, you will need to convert it back to Word or Google Docs first, make your changes, then export it again as a PDF.
What is the difference between text color and text background?
Text color changes the color of the letters themselves. Text background (highlighting) puts a colored box behind the letters without changing their color. You can use both at the same time — for example, white text on a dark background — but this can make text hard to read if not done carefully.
How do I remove highlighting from my whole document at once?
In Word, use Find and Replace (Ctrl+H) and search for highlighting, then replace it with no highlighting. In Google Docs, select all text (Ctrl+A), then remove the highlight color. In Pages, select all and use the Format panel to turn off highlighting. This is faster than removing it piece by piece.
Can I set a default background color for new text I type?
Most editors do not have this feature because it would highlight everything you type, which is usually not what you want. The standard workflow is to type first, then select and highlight the parts you want to emphasize. Some templates or styles may include background color, but you would need to create or modify a style to do this.
Does background color work the same way in all programs?
The basic function is the same — select text, choose a color, explore it — but the location of the tool and the color options vary. Word has the most highlighting options, Google Docs is the simplest, and Pages sits in the middle. If you switch between programs, spend a minute finding the highlighting tool in each one so you know where to look.