Formatting Issues

How to Remove Gray Shading from Word Page Numbers When Printing

Aamir Naveed Akram Oct 10, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs to remove the gray background shading from page numbers in a Word document so it does not appear when printed.

How to Remove Gray Shading from Word Page Numbers When Printing

Product: Word
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Preparing a document for final printing and noticing that page number fields have a gray background.
Observed behavior: Page numbers appear with a gray shading on screen, which sometimes prints as an unwanted background color.

Before you start

Check your Print Preview first; Word often uses gray shading merely to highlight dynamic fields on-screen without actually printing them.

Solution 1Recommended

Remove Fill Color via Borders and Shading

Manually remove the background fill color applied to the page number field to prevent it from printing.

If the gray shading is a formatting issue rather than a visual field indicator, you must remove the background color using the Borders and Shading menu.

Activate the Header or Footer

Double-click the header or footer area where your page numbers are located to open the editing mode.

Select the Page Number

Click and drag to highlight the specific page number field that has the gray shading.

Open Borders and Shading

Navigate to the Home tab on the top ribbon. Click the Borders dropdown arrow (usually located in the Paragraph group) and select 'Borders and Shading' at the bottom of the list.

Set Fill to No Color

In the Borders and Shading dialog box, switch to the Shading tab. Open the 'Fill' dropdown menu and select 'No Color'. Click OK to apply the changes.

Verify with Print Preview

Press Ctrl + P or go to File > Print to check the Print Preview. Ensure the gray shading is completely removed from the final output.

Remove Fill Color via Borders and Shading

Field Shading Setting: If the gray background still appears on screen but does not show up in Print Preview, it is the default Field Shading setting. You can turn this off for on-screen viewing in File > Options > Advanced > Show document content.

Solution 2

Clear All Formatting

Use the Clear Formatting tool if custom styles have stubbornly applied a background to your page numbers.

Efficient Document Formatting

Easily Manage Page Numbers and Headers in WPS Writer

WPS Office offers a clean, intuitive interface for formatting documents. You can easily insert, customize, and print page numbers without worrying about hidden formatting glitches.

1. Open your Document: Launch WPS Writer and open your document file.
2. Edit Header and Footer: Double-click the page number area to instantly enter Header and Footer editing mode.
3. Adjust Formatting: Use the intuitive Home tab ribbon to clear any unwanted character shading or background colors instantly.

Clear, easy-to-use header and footer formatting tools.Fully compatible with Microsoft Word (.docx) formats.Accurate Print Preview ensures what you see is what you get.Free and lightweight alternative for daily document processing.

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do my page numbers have a gray background on screen?

Word uses a gray background to indicate that the text is a dynamic field (like page numbers, dates, or automated tables). This is primarily for on-screen visibility and typically does not print unless custom shading was applied.

How do I turn off field shading completely in Word?

Go to File > Options > Advanced. Scroll down to the 'Show document content' section, find 'Field shading', and change the setting from 'Always' or 'When selected' to 'Never'.

Will removing the shading change my page number font?

No, modifying the shading via the Borders and Shading menu only removes the background fill color. Your font type, size, and font color will remain exactly as you set them.

What if the gray box still prints after setting Fill to No Color?

Select the page number, go to the Home tab, and click the 'Clear All Formatting' button (the eraser icon). Then, reapply your desired font and alignment. This eliminates any stubborn hidden styles that might be forcing the background to print.

Document & File Issues