How to Change Background Color in InDesign

One of the most common questions about Adobe InDesign is how to change the page color in InDesign. You can easily change the background color with a few clicks, create a more interesting design, and bring it to your next presentation! In this tutorial, you will learn how to change the background color in InDesign to anything you want.

What You'll Learn in This Tutorial

How to change the background color in InDesign
How to change the page color in InDesign
How to make a transparent background in InDesign

What You'll Need

1. How to Change the Background Color in InDesign

Step 1

There are a couple of different ways to change the background color in InDesign. I will show you two ways. After opening the portfolio brochure and placing the images, open the Swatches panel. To locate the Swatches panel, go to Window > Color > Swatches.

Step 2

Double-Click the [Paper] swatch in the Swatches panel to bring up the Swatch Options. Change the color of the background to C8 M10 Y21 K0. In the next section, I will teach you how to change the page color in InDesign.

2. How to Change the Page Color in InDesign

Step 1

If you want to change individual page background colors, grab the Rectangle Frame Tool (F). Make a frame that's the same size as the page you want to change.

Step 2

Create a New Color Swatch in the Swatches panel by selecting the hamburger menu. Use the color C4 M32 Y2 K0.

Step 3

Select the frame and select the lavender color we just created to fill the frame.

Step 4

Select the frame and Right-Click > Arrange > Send to Back. In the next section, I will teach how to make a background transparent in InDesign.

3. How to Make a Transparent Background in InDesign

Step 1

If you've ever wondered how to make a background transparent in InDesign, here's your solution. Go to page 8, place the goldfish image, and apply the C8 M10 Y21 K0 swatch as the page background color we created earlier.

Step 2

Select the goldfish frame and go to Object > Clipping Path > Options. Change the Type to Detect Edges, Threshold to 1, and Tolerance to 2. Select OK.

You Did it!

With the help of this tutorial, you learned how to fill the background in InDesign, how to change the page color in InDesign, and how to make a transparent background in InDesign. Try out these new tricks on your next project for yourself or for a client.

how to change background color in indesign final result

If you're looking for even more, these tutorials are easy to follow and don't require much experience: