Add a highlight effect to text in Pages on Mac
You can add color behind any selection of text—individual characters, words, or entire paragraphs—to create a highlight effect.
Note: You can also highlight text for review purposes by using tools in the review toolbar and commands in the Insert menu. These highlights don’t appear in printed documents. To learn more about this type of highlighting, see Add and manage comments.
Add a background color to text
Select the text you want to highlight.
If the text is in a text box or shape, clicking the text box or shape affects all the text it contains.
In the Format
sidebar, click the Style button near the top.If the text is in a text box, table, or shape, first click the Text tab at the top of the sidebar, then click the Style button.
In the Font section, click
.Next to Text Background, click either the color well on the left or the color wheel on the right and choose a color.
The color well shows colors that match the template you’re using. The color wheel opens the color window, where you can choose any color.
Click anywhere in the document to close the controls and apply the color.
Tip: If you often add colors behind text, you can create a character style that uses a particular text background color. Then you can choose that style from the Character Styles pop-up menu to highlight selected text with that color. You can also create a keyboard shortcut to apply the character style.
Remove a background color from text
If the color you want to remove is behind selected words or lines and doesn’t extend from margin to margin, use this method to remove it.
Select specific text, or click in the text.
If a comment opens, click Delete in the comment. The highlight was added using the review toolbar. If no comment opens, continue with the next steps.
In the Format
sidebar, click the Style button near the top.If the text is in a text box, table, or shape, first click the Text tab at the top of the sidebar, then click the Style button.
In the Font section, click
.Next to Text Background, click the color well on the left, then click the swatch in the bottom-right corner with the diagonal line.
Add a background color to a paragraph
Use this method when you want the color to extend from margin to margin as a block of color.
Click the paragraph or select multiple paragraphs where you want the background color to appear.
Tip: If you don’t want subsequent paragraphs to use the background color, add the color after you press Return to begin a new paragraph, or add the color when you’re finished typing.
In the Format
sidebar, click the Layout button near the top.In the Paragraph Background section, do one of the following:
Choose a color designed to match your template: Click the color well on the left, then select a color.
Choose any color: Click the color wheel, then select a color in the color window.
Remove a background color from behind paragraphs
If the color you want to remove extends from margin to margin, you can use this method to remove it.
Select the paragraphs you want to remove the background color from.
In the Format
sidebar, click the Layout button near the top.In the Paragraph Background section, click the color well on the left, then click the swatch in the bottom-right corner with the diagonal line.
If selection handles appear around the text when you click it and the color isn't removed, the text is in a text box. The color may be a color fill for the text box. See Remove a fill.