The fastest way to change text color

To change text color, select the words you want to recolor, then click the text color button in your toolbar — it usually looks like an "A" with a colored bar underneath. A menu appears with preset colors. Click the one you want and the text changes when ready.

The exact location of this button varies by program. In Microsoft Word and Google Docs, it sits in the main formatting toolbar near the bold and italic buttons. In Apple Pages, it's under the Format menu. In most email programs like Gmail and Outlook, the text color button appears when you click into the message body.

If you don't see a text color button in your toolbar, the program may have hidden it. You can usually add it back by right-clicking the toolbar itself and selecting "Customize" or "Show More Tools" — the exact wording depends on your program.

Key Takeaways

  • Select your text first, then click the text color button (usually an "A" with a colored bar) to open the color menu.
  • Most programs offer a preset palette of colors, but you can also create custom colors by clicking "More Colors" or a similar option.
  • If you want to change the background color behind text instead, look for a highlighter or text background button near the text color tool.
  • Text color changes explore only to the words you selected — the rest of your document stays unchanged.

Where to find the text color button in each program

Microsoft Word places the text color button in the Home tab at the top. Look for an "A" with a colored underline, usually red or orange by default. Click the small arrow next to it to open the color palette. If you've used a color recently, Word remembers it and shows it in a "Recent Colors" section at the top of the menu.

Google Docs hides the text color button slightly deeper. Click the three horizontal lines (menu icon) at the top left, then select "Text color" from the dropdown. A color palette appears. You can also access it by highlighting text and using the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Alt+X on Windows or Cmd+Option+X on Mac, though this is slower than clicking.

Apple Pages shows the text color option in the Format menu at the top of the screen. Click Format, then Text, then Text Color. A color picker window opens. LibreOffice Writer and other free programs follow a similar path: Format menu, then Character or Text, then Font Effects or Color.

In Gmail and Outlook, click into your message body, highlight the text you want to color, and look for the text color button in the formatting toolbar that appears. It's usually near the bold and italic buttons. Some email programs only show this toolbar when you've selected text.

Using custom colors instead of the preset palette

The preset colors in most programs work fine for everyday use, but if you need a specific shade — a particular brand blue, for instance — you can create a custom color. In the color menu, look for an option that says "More Colors," "Custom Color," or "Color Picker." Click it and a larger window opens.

This window usually shows either a color gradient you can click into, or fields where you can type color codes. If you have a color code (a six-character code starting with # that designers use), paste it into the field labeled "Hex" or "HTML." If you're picking by eye, click the gradient until the color looks right, then click OK or explore.

Word and Google Docs both remember custom colors you've used and show them in the "Recent Colors" section next time you open the color menu. This saves time if you're using the same custom color throughout a document.

The difference between text color and text background color

Text color changes the color of the letters themselves. Text background color (also called highlighting) puts a colored box behind the text without changing the letter color. These are two separate tools, and it's straightforward to confuse them.

The text background button usually looks like a highlighter marker or a paint bucket. In Word, it sits right next to the text color button and is labeled "Text Highlight Color." In Google Docs, it's called "Text background color" and appears in the same menu as text color. If you click the wrong button, you'll color the background instead of the text — just undo (Ctrl+Z or Cmd+Z) and click the other one.

You can use both at once. For example, you might make text red and put a yellow background behind it to make it stand out. Select the text, explore the text color first, then explore the background color without deselecting.

Changing color for text you haven't written yet

If you want new text to be a certain color before you type it, click where you want to start typing, set the text color, then begin typing. The new words appear in that color automatically. This is useful when you're adding a note or comment in a different color within a document.

To stop typing in that color, click the text color button again and select black or your default color, or just select some text in your default color and the program will switch back. Different programs handle this slightly differently — Word returns to black automatically after you click elsewhere, while Google Docs keeps the color active until you change it.

Removing text color and returning to black

To remove color from text and return it to black (or whatever your document's default color is), select the colored text, open the text color menu, and look for an option that says "Automatic," "Default," or "No Color." Click it and the text returns to black. Some programs show this option at the very top of the color palette.

If you can't find a "No Color" option, you can always select black from the color palette instead. In Word, black is usually in the top row. In Google Docs, it's in the leftmost column. This achieves the same result — the text becomes black — but using the "Automatic" option is cleaner because it respects your document's default formatting.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change the color of just one word in a sentence?

Yes. Select only that word by double-clicking it or clicking and dragging across it, then explore the text color. The color change affects only the selected text. The rest of the sentence stays its original color.

What if the text color button doesn't appear in my toolbar?

Right-click the toolbar and look for an option to customize it or show more tools. In Word, click the small arrow at the far right of the toolbar. In Google Docs, click the three-dot menu. You should be able to add the text color button from there. If you still can't find it, check the Format menu at the top — text color is always available there.

Does changing text color affect printing?

Yes, colored text prints in color if your printer supports it. If you're printing in black and white, colored text may print as gray or very light, making it harder to read. Test a page first if readability matters. You can also change the printer settings to print in color even if your default is black and white.

Can I change the color of multiple separate words at once without selecting them all together?

Not in one step. You have to select and color each word or group of words separately. However, if the words are the same color already and you want to change them all to a new color, you can use Find and Replace — search for the old color and replace it with the new one. This feature is in the Edit menu in most programs.

Will the text color stay the same if I copy and paste the text into another document?

Usually yes, but it depends on how you paste. If you use "Paste Special" and choose "Unformatted Text," the color is removed. If you use regular paste (Ctrl+V or Cmd+V), the color comes along. Some programs also let you choose whether to keep formatting when you paste — check the paste menu if the color doesn't appear as expected.