You may have downloaded or copied text from an online source and pasted it into an MS Word document. But you find it still keeps the original background color and other formatting that you would like to remove. You can do this in many ways:
7 Methods to remove copy pasted background color in Microsoft Word:
- Use Notepad
- Use the Paste feature
- Use the ‘Clear all Formatting’ feature
- Use the Shading feature
- Use the Delete Background color feature
- Use the Find and Replace feature
- Use Page color feature
We will show in simple, step-by-step instructions how you can remove background color using the above features in MS Word.
Let us begin.
Method #1: Use Notepad
This method strips all formatting from the text, including background colors.
Step #1: Open Word document
Open the Word document that has text with a colored background.
Step #2: Copy text
Select the text from which you want to remove the background color, by clicking and dragging with your cursor over the text.
Press CTRL+C on your keyboard to copy the text.
Step #3: Paste text into Notepad
Open Notepad.
Click inside the open workspace.
Press CTRL+V on your keyboard to paste the clipboard contents.
Step #4: Copy text from Notepad
Press CTRL+A on your keyboard to copy all the content currently in Notepad.
Step #5: Paste Text into Word
Click inside the Word document where you want to text to be placed.
Press CTRL+V on your keyboard to paste the clipboard contents.
Word removes the background colors.
Before pasting the text back in your Word document, you can also select the colored text. When you paste, the ‘cleaned-up’ text then overwrites the original.
Method #2: Use the Paste Feature
This method keeps only text information.
Step #1: Open Word document
Open the Word document that has text with a colored background.
Step #2: Copy text
Select the text from which you want to remove the background color by clicking and dragging with your cursor over the text.
Press CTRL+C on your keyboard to copy the text.
Step #3: Paste text into Word
Right-click on the selected text.
In the menu that opens, under Paste Options:, click on the icon Keep Text Only (T).
Word keeps only the text, removing background colors.
Method #3: Use the ‘Clear All Formatting’ Feature
This method clears all formatting, including background colors.
Step #1: Open Word document
Open the Word document that has text with a colored background.
Step #2: Select text
Select the text from which you want to remove the background color by clicking and dragging with your cursor over the text.
Step #3: Clear all formatting
Click on the Home tab in the top menu bar to change the ribbon.
In the section Font, click on the icon Clear All Formatting. It looks like a capital A, with a little eraser.
Tip: Hover with your mouse over icons to view their names.
Word keeps only the text, removing background colors.
Note: Word may change the font and remove all formatting and styling.
Method #4: Use the Shading Feature
This method is useful if the text background has been colored using the Shading feature.
Step #1: Open Word document
Open the Word document that has text with a colored background.
Step #2: Select text
Select the text from which you want to remove the background color by clicking and dragging with your cursor over the text.
Step #3: Remove shading
Click on the Design tab in the top menu bar to change the ribbon.
In the section Page Background, click on the icon Page Borders.
The Borders and Shading dialog box will open.
Click on the Shading tab.
Under Fill, click on the down triangle.
In the Theme Colors menu that opens, click on No Color.
Click on the OK button at the bottom to close the dialog box.
Word keeps the text and formatting and removes background colors.
Method #5: Use the Delete Background Color Feature
This method is useful if the text has a color background.
Step #1: Open Word document
Open the Word document that has text with a colored background.
Step #2: Select text
Select the text from which you want to remove the background color by clicking and dragging with your cursor over the text.
Step #3: Remove background colors
Click on the Home tab in the top menu bar to change the ribbon.
In the Paragraph section, click on the down triangle next to the Shading icon.
Tip: Hover with your mouse over icons to view their names.
In the Theme Colors menu that opens, tick the checkbox in front of No Color.
Word keeps the text and formatting, removing only background colors.
Method #6: Use the Find and Replace Feature
This method works for text with highlighted color.
Step #1: Open Word document
Open the Word document that has text with a colored background.
Step #2: Select text
Select the text from which you want to remove the background color by clicking and dragging with your cursor over the text.
Step #3: Find and Replace
Press CTRL+H on your keyboard.
This opens the Find and Replace dialog box.
Click on the Find tab.
Click inside the rectangle next to Find what:.
Click on the More button at the bottom.
This opens the dialog box further.
Click on the Format button under the section Find.
This opens a menu.
Click on Highlight.. at the bottom.
An entry Format: Highlight appears under Find what:.
Click on the Replace tab.
Click inside the rectangle next to Replace with:.
Click on the Format button under the section Find.
This opens a menu.
Click on Highlight at the bottom.
Click again on Highlight at the bottom.
An entry Format: Not Highlight appears under Replace with:.
Click on the Replace All tab.
Word will open a notification dialog.
Click on the No button to close it.
Word keeps only the text, removing background colors.
Method #7: Use the Page Color Feature
This method works for text with background page color.
Step #1: Open Word document
Open the Word document that has text with a colored background.
Step #2: Remove page color
Click on the Design tab in the top menu bar to change the ribbon.
In the section Page Background, click on the icon Page Color.
The Theme Colors dialog box will open.
Tick the check box in front of No Color.
Word removes all the background page color.
Conclusion
We have shown you seven methods of removing background color in MS Word document after a copy-paste operation. Use the method you find most suitable.
If you have inherited a document with a colored background, you can also use these steps to remove the color.
sorry mate, i tried it all, none works. the black band persists. i cannot click on other areas of the document.