Microsoft Word 2013 offers many ways to make your documents visually appealing, including background colors, shading, and patterns. However, by default, Word may not print background colors or images, which can be frustrating when preparing a professional document.
In this guide, you’ll learn how to print background colors in Word 2013, along with tips to make your printed documents look exactly like they do on your screen.
🧠 Why Word Doesn’t Print Background Colors by Default
Printing background colors is not enabled by default in Word 2013 to:
Save ink or toner
Reduce printing costs
Avoid heavy or unnecessary print files
If you’re creating a flyer, brochure, or colorful report, you’ll need to manually enable the option to print backgrounds.
⚙️ How to Print Background Colors in Word 2013
Follow these simple steps to enable printing of background colors:
From the menu, select Options to open the Word Options dialog box.
Step 3: Open Display Settings
In the Word Options window, select Display from the left-hand menu.
Step 4: Enable Background Printing
Scroll down to the Printing options section.
Check the box that says “Print background colors and images.”
Step 5: Click OK
Click OK to save your changes.
Step 6: Print Your Document
Go to File > Print or press Ctrl + P.
Your document will now print with the background colors or images visible.
💡 Tips for Printing Background Colors Successfully
Check Your Printer Settings Some printers have settings that may override Word’s background printing option. Make sure your printer supports color printing and that the color option is selected.
Preview Before Printing Use Print Preview in Word to confirm that your background colors appear correctly.
Use High-Quality Paper Bright or thick paper can make your printed backgrounds look more vivid.
Adjust Brightness and Contrast Some background colors may appear lighter when printed. Slightly increasing the brightness in Word or choosing deeper colors can help.
🔄 How to Print Without Background Colors
If you want to remove background colors for printing:
Go to File > Options > Display
Uncheck Print background colors and images
Print your document as usual.
This is helpful when you want a cleaner, ink-saving printout.
🧭 Quick Recap
Task
Menu Location
Action
Enable background printing
File → Options → Display
Check “Print background colors and images”
Print document
File → Print
Preview and print normally
Disable background printing
File → Options → Display
Uncheck “Print background colors and images”
🔚 Final Thoughts
Printing background colors in Word 2013 is simple once you know where to look. Whether you’re designing a flyer, newsletter, or report, enabling this setting ensures your printed documents look professional and vibrant.
Always preview your document before printing, and consider the cost of ink when using colorful backgrounds. With these steps, your Word 2013 documents can maintain the same impact on paper as they do on screen.
