Keeptab DarkHow do I make the background black in Google Docs?
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In short: On a computer, open the document, click File › Page setup, select Pages at the top, choose a dark Page color and click OK.[1] In pageless format, change the background color instead.[1] Then make the text light. Keep in mind it's part of the document: everyone who opens it sees the dark page.
Google Docs has no dark mode on a computer, but it does let you paint the page. Done well, it gives you a comfortable dark document for your own notes. Done quickly, it gives you black text on a black page and a confused colleague. Here's the careful version.
Change the page color
- On your computer, open the document in Google Docs.[1]
- In the toolbar, click File › Page setup.[1]
- At the top of the dialog window, select Pages.[1]
- Open Page color and pick a dark color.[1]
- Click OK.[1]
Page settings like this aren't available in pageless format. If your document is pageless, you can update the background color instead.[1]
Make the text readable
The page changes, the text doesn't. Black text on a black page is, technically, a very secure document. Select all the text and give it a light color.
Our reading: a very dark gray page with off-white text is often easier on the eyes than pure black with pure white. Designers avoid pure white on dark backgrounds because it can seem to glow, and whatever you choose should still reach a contrast of at least 4.5:1, as we explain in dark mode contrast.
Make it the default for new documents
In the same Page setup window, you can click Set as default to apply these settings to any new documents you create.[1] Useful if you keep a stack of personal notes. Less useful the day you start a document for someone else and it opens black.
Who sees the black page
Page color is formatting, like a font. Anyone who opens the document sees the dark page, unlike a display theme that only changes your view. We go through the difference in does dark mode change a Google Doc for other people?
- Before sharing: set the Page color back to white in File › Page setup, and reset the text color.[1]
- Before printing: preview the print first. A dark page is ink you probably didn't plan to use.
- For each document: it's a per-file change, so older documents stay white.
Docs, Sheets and Slides in real dark mode. Keeptab Dark turns the whole Google Docs, Sheets, Slides and Excel page dark. Images keep their colors, and there is no white flash. Alt+Shift+D turns it on or off.
Add to Chrome — it's freeA dark page without editing the file
Keeptab Dark is our Chrome extension that darkens the page on your screen in Google Docs, Sheets, Slides and Excel for the web, with nothing to change in the document.[2] The file is unchanged for others, when printing and in PDF, and images keep their colors.[2]
The Soft gray theme is free.[2] Pro adds 12 themes and can keep one document light, handy before printing.[2]
FAQ
How do I make the page black in Google Docs?
Click File › Page setup, select Pages, choose a dark Page color and click OK. In pageless format, change the background color instead. Then make the text light.
Can I make every new Google Doc black?
Yes. In File › Page setup, after choosing the Page color, click Set as default to apply it to new documents you create.
Will other people see my black background in Google Docs?
Yes. Page color is part of the document, so everyone who opens it sees the dark page. Set it back to white before sharing if needed.
Sources
- Google Docs Editors Help. Change page settings on Google Docs. https://support.google.com/docs/answer/10296604?hl=en
- Keeptab Dark. Dark mode for Google Docs, Sheets, Slides and Excel. https://keep-tab.com/dark/
Docs, Sheets and Slides in real dark mode
Keeptab Dark turns the whole Google Docs, Sheets, Slides and Excel page dark. Images keep their colors, and there is no white flash. Alt+Shift+D turns it on or off.
Add to Chrome — it's free