# Select background color for a paragraph

Background color is applied to the whole paragraph and completely fills all the paragraph space from the left page margin to the right page margin.

To apply a background color to a certain paragraph or change the current one,

1. select a color scheme for your document from the available ones clicking the Change color scheme icon at the Home tab of the top toolbar
2. put the cursor within the paragraph you need, or select several paragraphs with the mouse or the whole text using the Ctrl+A key combination
3. open the color palettes window. You can access it in one of the following ways:
   - click the downward arrow next to the icon at the Home tab of the top toolbar, or
   - click the color field next to the Background Color caption at the right sidebar, or
   - click the 'Show advanced settings' link at the right sidebar or select the 'Paragraph Advanced Settings' option in the right-click menu, then switch to the 'Borders & Fill' tab within the 'Paragraph - Advanced Settings' window and click the color field next to the Background Color caption.
4. select any color in the available palettes

After you select the necessary color using the icon, you'll be able to apply this color to any selected paragraph just clicking the icon (it displays the selected color), without the necessity to choose this color on the palette again. If you use the Background Color option at the right sidebar or within the 'Paragraph - Advanced Settings' window, remember that the selected color is not retained for quick access. (These options can be useful if you wish to select a different background color for a specific paragraph, while you are also using some general color selected with the help of the icon).

To clear the background color of a certain paragraph,

1. put the cursor within the paragraph you need, or select several paragraphs with the mouse or the whole text using the Ctrl+A key combination
2. open the color palettes window clicking the color field next to the Background Color caption at the right sidebar
3. select the icon.