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By Jenefey Aaron

Updated on 2025-08-14

100 % Helpful

How to Change PDF Background Color (Step-by-Step Guide)

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By Jenefey Aaron

2025-08-14 / Knowledge

How do I change my PDF’s background color?

This question is frequently asked on Reddit and many other online forums. Whether you need to adjust the background for better readability, to save ink when printing, or simply to improve the overall design of your document, knowing the right steps can save you time and effort.

In this guide, we will show you how to change PDF background color using both powerful software tools and free online options, helping you find the best solution for your needs.

Part 1: Why Change PDF Background Color?

People want to edit PDF background color for different reasons:

  • Printing: Sometimes the white background wastes a lot of ink or doesn’t print clearly. To fix this, users want to change PDF background color for printing to save ink or improve print quality.
  • Accessibility: A white background can be too bright for some readers. Changing the background color helps reduce eye strain.
  • Design: You might want to make your PDF look more attractive or professional by using different colors.
  • Ease of Use: Reading a colored background on screen may be easier, especially at night or in low light.

Knowing these common scenarios helps you understand why learning how to change PDF background color is useful.

Part 2: How to Change PDF Background Color (Step-by-Step Guide)

One of the easiest and most reliable ways to edit PDF background color is by using software like Tenorshare PDNob. This program allows you to quickly and safely change background color in PDF files without affecting the original quality or disturbing the document’s layout. The interface is simple enough for beginners to use, yet it offers powerful features that meet the needs of advanced users as well.

PDNob provides a wide range of PDF editing tools beyond background changes, making it a complete solution for managing and customizing your PDF documents with ease.

Key Advantages of Using Tenorshare PDNob:

  • 100+ Editing Tools: Offers over 100 editing features, including easy and precise PDF background editing.
  • Background Editing Preserves Quality: Change PDF background colors without altering the original layout or quality.
  • Advanced OCR Technology: Edit scanned documents with advanced OCR, just like native PDFs.
  • Multi-Format Conversion: Convert PDFs to Word, Excel, JPG, PPT, and more for flexible use.
  • Batch Editing & File Protection: Supports batch editing and PDF password protection for file security.

Steps to Use Tenorshare PDNob:

Here is a simple step-by-step guide to change PDF background color using Tenorshare PDNob PDF Editor:

  • Open your PDF in Tenorshare PDNob, click the “Edit” tab, and select “Background”.
  • click the edit tab of pdnob
  • Click “Add” and choose Color as the background type.
  • how to change pdf background color in pdnob
  • Pick your desired color, adjust opacity, and set the page range (all, odd, or even pages).
  • edit pdf background color
  • Click Save to apply the new background color to your PDF.
  • click save to apply

Part 3: How to Change PDF Background Color Online (Free Tools)

If you don’t want to download software, you can use free online tools to edit PDF background color easily. Two popular options are Adobe Acrobat Online and Canva, both offering simple ways to change your PDF’s background color directly in your browser.

Adobe Acrobat Online

Adobe Acrobat Online is a trusted and easy-to-use PDF editor that lets you modify your PDF files, including changing background colors. It works entirely online, so there’s no need to install any software.

Steps

  • Upload your PDF to Adobe Acrobat’s online editor.
  • upload your pdf to edit background color
  • Go to the “Edit PDF” section and select the background editing tool.
  • go to the edit pdf section
  • Pick a new color to change PDF background color online.
  • Save your changes and download the updated PDF file.
  • download the updated pdf file

Canva

Canva is a popular online design platform that also supports PDF editing. You can upload PDFs and change background colors with a simple and user-friendly interface.

Steps

  • Upload your PDF to Canva PDF editor.
  • how to change pdf background color
  • Use the background color option to select your desired color.
  • use the background color option
  • Adjust your PDF pages as needed.
  • Download the edited PDF to your device.
  • pdf background color change online

Drawbacks of Online Tools

  • Limited editing features compared to software like PDNob.
  • Slower processing, especially for large files.
  • Privacy concerns when uploading sensitive PDFs.
  • Some tools don’t let you convert color PDF to black and white or fully control the background color.

For these reasons, we recommend using Tenorshare PDNob to change background color in PDF rather than relying on online options.

Part 4. How to Change PDF Background Color for Printing

When printing PDFs, you might want to change PDF background color for printing to save ink or improve readability.

Method 1: Print as Grayscale Using Tenorshare PDNob

Printing your PDF in grayscale is a simple way to reduce color ink usage while maintaining the original layout and clarity. Tenorshare PDNob makes this process easy by letting you choose grayscale printing directly from the software, ensuring your document prints cleanly without full-color backgrounds or images.

Steps to print as grayscale in PDNob:

  • Open your PDF in Tenorshare PDNob.
  • Select the “Print” option from the menu.
  • In the printer settings, choose “Print as Grayscale” to print without color.
  • change pdf background color to grayscale for printing
  • Print your document, which will save ink while keeping it readable.

Method 2: Convert PDF to Black and White (Not Grayscale) Using Adobe Acrobat

Converting a PDF to true black and white means removing all gray tones, resulting in a sharper and more defined print. Adobe Acrobat offers a feature to convert PDFs into pure black and white, which is ideal if you want crisp black text and no background shades. This is especially useful for professional documents or when you want to save the most ink.

Steps to convert PDF to black and white in Adobe Acrobat:

  • Open your PDF file in Adobe Acrobat.
  • Navigate to the print settings or prepress tools.
  • Select the “Convert to Black and White” option.
  • Print the document with sharp black text and no gray background.

Conclusion

Knowing how to change PDF background color enhances both visual appeal and usability—whether optimizing for screen viewing or print output. For full control and advanced capabilities, we recommend Tenorshare PDNob. It delivers precise background customization, multi-format conversion (including color-to-b/w printing), and comprehensive editing tools—all in one secure desktop solution.

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