If the page in Word looks black or dark gray, first check whether Dark Mode is changing only your view. In desktop Word, use View > Switch Modes to show a light page while keeping dark menus. In Word for the web, use View > Switch Backgrounds. If the document itself has an applied page color, choose Design > Page Color > No Color instead. These are different fixes, and changing the page color just to counter a viewing preference can change the file for collaborators.
Make a dark page white in desktop Word
- Open the document and look at the menus. If the ribbon is also dark, Word is probably using Dark Mode.
- Choose View > Switch Modes. The document canvas changes between a dark and a light appearance without removing the dark Office theme.
- If you want the page to stay light in future desktop sessions, choose File > Options > General. Under personalization, select Never change the document page color, then choose OK.
- Check another document. If it also appears dark, that confirms you were changing an app viewing preference rather than a page-color setting in one file.
On Mac, Microsoft lists Word > Preferences > General > Personalize > Dark Mode has a white page color. The menu wording can vary by version. Microsoft’s Dark Mode guide covers Windows, Mac, and the web. A dark canvas normally does not mean the document will print with black paper or look dark to another person.
Make the page white in Word for the web
When the browser editor is in Dark Mode, choose View > Switch Backgrounds to return the page to a light appearance. This preference can be remembered in that browser. If it does not stick, check that cookies are enabled. A different browser or the desktop app may have its own appearance preference. Use a print preview or PDF if you need to see the final document rather than the editor’s dark appearance.
Turn off the dark Office theme completely
Switch Modes only lightens the page. If you want the ribbon, menus, and page all back to white, change the Office theme in desktop Word for Windows.
- Choose File > Options > General. You can also use File > Account.
- Open the Office Theme list.
- Choose White or Colorful instead of Black or Dark Gray.
- Click OK.
The theme applies to all your Office apps on that computer, not just Word. If the list is set to Use system setting, Word follows the Windows dark or light mode, so choose White directly if you want Word to stay light when Windows is dark.
On a Mac, choose Word > Settings (Preferences in older versions), select General, and under Personalize choose Turn off Dark Mode. Word then stays light even when macOS uses dark appearance.
Remove an actual page color from the document
If only one document looks colored while other Word files show white pages, inspect the document formatting. In desktop Word, choose Design > Page Color > No Color. Microsoft documents this in its page-color instructions. Choose No Color for the default uncolored page; choose White only if you intentionally need an explicit white fill. Save the file, reopen it, and check the result in another viewing mode. A page color can be part of a shared document, so make this change only when you want to edit the file’s design.
If the gray or black area is confined to a paragraph, text box, table cell, or picture, Page Color is not the relevant control. Select that element and inspect its shading, fill, or image settings. Pasted text can bring a dark background or direct font color; use clear formatting or paste as text when appropriate. Make sure the actual font remains readable on a light page.
If you’d rather use a different background instead of white, you can change the page color of a Word document from the same menu.
Check printing and sharing
- Screen is dark, print preview is white: Dark Mode is a local view. You usually do not need to edit the document.
- Preview shows a colored page: Check the document’s Page Color and printing options. Some printers do not print background colors unless that option is enabled.
- The recipient sees something different: Ask them to check their own Word theme and page view. Your Switch Modes choice does not set their preference.
- Only one page should have a color: Page Color is a document-level setting; a one-page design needs a separate layout method. Do not change all pages accidentally.
After the appropriate fix, save a copy or export a PDF and inspect the page, text contrast, and print preview. That is more reliable than judging the editor background alone.
Matt has been writing about Microsoft Windows and other Microsoft products since the days of Windows XP. He spends much of his time writing for sites like WindowBrain.com