Why do my Microsoft Word documents have a blue background?

My Microsoft word for microsoft office has a backgroung colour problem. Everytime I open a document into it, the colour turns blue; which is not very to read from and definetely not the original background colour. I tried to change it from the format menu and select backgound but it keeps doing that all the time. Could you please tell me how can I restore the original colours.

Dave's Answer:

Don't panic. Believe it or not, I think you've actually found a feature of Microsoft Word, not some sort of bug in your documents or computer. For legibility sake, Word allows you to specify white text on a blue background in addition to the more common black text against a white background.

Obviously, you don't want to leave it setup that way, so let me show you how to change it in Microsoft Word for the Mac - it's basically the same for the Windows version of Word too.

Start up Microsoft Word and go to Preferences (on the PC it's "Options..."), then click on the General option. The choices look like this:

The third option down, "blue background, white text", is what you have accidentally checked. Simply uncheck it, click Okay and your document -- and future documents you open in Microsoft Word -- should be back to normal.

Notice a few more options here too: "Show Project Gallery at startup" is one that many Word users are delighted to turn off once they've gotten the hang of using the program, and "WYSIWYG font and styles menus" can make it quite a bit easier to work with complex styles in particular, but it's also cool for fonts too.

Hope that gets you back with Word.

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Categorized: Windows PC Help (Article 6724, Written by Dave Taylor)
Tagged: microsoft office, microsoft word
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Reader Comments To Date: 8

William Winter said, on December 19, 2008 10:15 AM:

I had a blue background under the text, I tried turning off highlight in case it was on, but nothing. I tried what you said on this page, but it was not that. It ended up having shading turned on.

Sara said, on January 8, 2009 9:52 PM:

Hi,

I have an issue on a PC where the box is not checked for blue background, white text in Options; but whenever I open a template, the template appears with a blue background and white text and has other issues as well. Do you know how to fix this issue?

Many thanks

liz said, on September 9, 2009 12:05 PM:

erase all in blue highlights

yoyomandroid said, on February 23, 2010 10:05 AM:

Hello there.

Could we change the background with an image or wallpaper instead of boring blue, silver and black? Looks boring though and I would like to make the Microsoft Office Word 2010 more personal. :)

V said, on March 28, 2011 2:51 PM:

This happened on my work computer and was making me crazy, even the company techs couldn't figure it out. Thank you, your directions worked:>

john said, on July 9, 2011 10:12 PM:

Great answer about the blue background.
Don't know how it happened but I've been messing with it (including reading through the useless Word Help) for about twenty minutes before I came here. Thanks!

Lauren said, on September 7, 2011 9:52 AM:

I have actually been trying to get my microsoft to do this because it it easier on eyes while working. However, I have the new microsoft. do you know how to do it on the new one as well?

Lisa said, on April 7, 2013 10:00 AM:

My back ground on my pc is black and the text is white. but when i go to use the internet the back ground stays black and the pictures go a metalic silver and reflective.please help.

I do have a lot to say, and questions of my own for that matter, but first I'd like to say thank you, Dave, for all your helpful information by buying you a cup of coffee!

I do have a comment, now that you mention it!

Why do my Microsoft Word documents have a blue background?

Reader Comments To Date: 8

I do have a comment, now that you mention it!

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