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Change the page background in Pages on Mac
You can add a color, gradient, or image to the background of individual pages and to the background of a page template.
Change the background of individual pages
In a word-processing document, changing a page background also changes the background for all of the pages in its section. To change just one page, make that page its own section and then change its background. In a page layout document, you can change the background of any single page.
Do one of the following:
Click the disclosure arrow next to Background, then click the pop-up menu and choose one of the following fill types:
A color or gradient designed to go with the template: Choose Color Fill, click the color well to the right of Background, then choose a color or gradient.
A two-color gradient fill: Choose Gradient Fill, then click the color wells below Background and choose colors. The left side of each well shows colors that match the template; the color wheels open the Colors window, where you can choose any color.
A custom gradient: Choose Advanced Gradient Fill, then click the square color wells below the slider to choose colors. Slide the squares and use the other controls to change the blend, angle, and direction of the gradient.
An image: Choose Image Fill, click Choose, then double-click an image file with a .jpg, .png, or .gif filename extension.
Change the background of a page template
In page layout documents, you can change the background of a page template. Any page that uses that page template updates to match.
Click an empty space on a page that uses the page template you want to edit.
At the bottom of the Format
sidebar, click Edit Page Template, then click Edit Page Templates in the dialog.
In the Format
sidebar, click the disclosure arrow next to Background.
Click the pop-up menu below Background, then choose one of the following fill types:
A color or gradient designed to go with the template: Click the Background pop-up menu and choose Color Fill. Click the color well to the right of Background, then choose a color or gradient.
A two-color gradient fill: Click the Background pop-up menu and choose Gradient Fill, then click the color wells below Background and choose colors. The left side of each well shows colors that match the template; the color wheels open the Colors window, where you can choose any color.
A custom gradient: Click the Background pop-up menu, choose Advanced Gradient Fill, then click the square color wells below the slider to choose colors. Slide the squares and use the other controls to change the blend, angle, and direction of the gradient.
An image: Click the Background pop-up menu and choose Image Fill. Click Choose, then double-click an image file with a .jpg, .png, or .gif filename extension.
Click Done at the bottom of the window to return to the document.
For more information about the fill options, see Fill shapes and text boxes with color or an image.
Note: If you don’t see the background or page template controls, make sure that your document is a page layout document and not a word-processing document. Then make sure that nothing on the page is selected. For more information, see How to tell which kind of document you’re viewing.
To find out more about the types of documents in Pages, see Intro to Pages on Mac.