How to change a PDF background color
A text highlight, a shaded paragraph and a colored panel do different jobs. Choose the control that matches the area you want to change.
Step by step
- Open your PDF and find the area you want to change.
- For an existing colored panel, right-click the panel and choose Change background color. Choose a swatch or a custom color.
- For words, select the text and use Text highlight. To shade a whole paragraph, place your cursor in it and choose Paragraph shading.
- To add a new area, right-click and choose Add background area, then drag across the page. Review the result and download your PDF.
Remove a background without deleting the words
Right-click a detected colored panel and choose Remove background fill. For a text highlight or paragraph shading, choose No fill in the color picker. The text remains in place.
What if the color is part of an image?
The editor can change detected solid PDF fills. A color embedded inside a photograph or a scanned page is part of that image and cannot be individually recolored with the panel control.
Check contrast before downloading
Choose a fill that keeps the text easy to read. Dark text usually works well on a light fill. Use Undo if a change does not look right, then review the downloaded PDF.