Formatting Issues

How to Fix Font Color and Text Highlight Problems in Word 365

Elise Williams Oct 16, 2026 871 views

Question details

Users are unable to view or apply custom font colors and text highlights in Word 365.

Fix Font Color and Text Highlight Problems in Word 365

Product: Word 365
Device & OS: Windows
Scenario: Attempting to change font colors or apply text highlights while editing a document.
Observed behavior: The font and highlight colors do not display correctly or fail to change when selected from the Home tab, often resulting from system-level accessibility settings.

Before you start

Ensure that your Windows operating system is fully updated, and check if the display issue occurs in other applications to confirm if it is a system-wide color setting.

Solution 1Recommended

Disable Windows Contrast Themes

Turning off the Windows High Contrast or Desert theme restores normal color rendering in Microsoft Office applications.

Windows Accessibility features can sometimes override application-specific formatting. If a high contrast theme like 'Desert' is enabled, Word 365 will ignore the manual font color and text highlight settings to maintain contrast.

Open Windows Settings

Press the Windows key + I on your keyboard to open the main Windows Settings menu.

Navigate to Accessibility

Click on 'Accessibility' (or 'Ease of Access' in older versions of Windows) from the sidebar menu.

Change Contrast Themes

Select 'Contrast themes' and use the drop-down menu to change the active theme from 'Desert' (or any other high contrast option) to 'None'. Click Apply.

Restart Word: Restart Word 365 after applying this system setting to ensure the default document color palette is fully restored.

Solution 2

Apply Formatting from the Home Tab

Use the standard highlighting and font color tools once the system display settings are resolved.

Solution 3

Troubleshoot Intermittent Help Errors

Resolve connection issues if you receive an error when attempting to load Microsoft's Help instructions for highlighting.

Format Text Easily with WPS Writer

Easily Change Font Colors and Highlights in WPS Writer

Avoid complex accessibility conflicts and seamlessly format your documents using WPS Writer. WPS Office provides a lightweight, highly compatible word processing environment with an intuitive interface for applying custom font colors and text highlights.

1. Open your document in WPS Writer: Launch WPS Office and open your DOC or DOCX file to begin editing.
2. Select the target text: Use your mouse to highlight the text you want to format in the document.
3. Apply Font Color or Highlight: Navigate to the Home tab, and click the Font Color icon or Text Highlight icon to instantly apply your desired colors.

Fully compatible with Microsoft Word formats, ensuring flawless DOCX editing.Intuitive interface for applying text highlights and customizing font colors.Lightweight design ensures fast loading and a smooth text formatting experience.

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are my font colors not changing in Word 365?

This typically occurs if a Windows High Contrast theme (such as 'Desert') is enabled in your system's Accessibility settings. Disabling this contrast theme generally restores normal font color functionality.

Where do I find the text highlight tool in Word?

The text highlight tool is located in the Font group on the Home tab of the Word ribbon. Look for a marker icon with a colored bar underneath it.

Does changing the Windows contrast theme affect other applications?

Yes. Windows contrast themes are applied at the system level. Changing the theme from 'Desert' to 'None' will update the visual appearance of all your installed desktop applications, not just Word 365.

Why am I getting an error when I click the Help button in Word?

Help errors in Word are most often caused by intermittent network connection problems. Verify that your device is connected to the internet, then press F1 to try reloading the Help feature.

Document & File Issues