Formatting Issues

How to Remove Text Background Shading in Word 2016

Maira Mehtab Sep 21, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs to remove a colored background from pasted text that cannot be cleared using the standard Text Highlight Color tool.

Product: Microsoft Word 2016
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Copying and pasting text from an external document or webpage into a Word 2016 document.
Observed behavior: The pasted text retains a background color. Word treats this background as character or paragraph shading rather than a highlight, rendering the Text Highlight Color command ineffective for removing it.

Before you start

Select the exact text or paragraphs displaying the unwanted background color before applying formatting changes to ensure the correct tool targets the specific characters.

Solution 1Recommended

Remove Background Color Using the Shading Tool

Because the background color is categorized as shading rather than highlighting, you must use the Shading menu in the Paragraph settings to remove it.

Word distinguishes between text highlights (used like a marker) and shading (applied as a background fill to characters or entire paragraphs). Using the dedicated Shading tool will clear backgrounds that the highlight tool ignores.

Select the text

Highlight the specific text or paragraph that has the unwanted background color.

Navigate to the Home tab

Click on the 'Home' tab located in the main ribbon at the top of the Word interface.

Open the Shading menu

In the 'Paragraph' group, locate the 'Shading' icon, which resembles a tipping paint bucket. Click the small drop-down arrow next to it.

Select No Color

From the color palette that appears, click on 'No Color'. The background shading will be immediately removed from your selected text.

Solution 2

Clear All Formatting to Strip Shading

If the shading is embedded within a copied text style, clearing all formatting will quickly revert the text back to your document's default clean style.

Easily Manage Text Formatting and Shading with WPS Writer

If you frequently struggle with messy formatting when copying text between documents or webpages, WPS Writer provides an intuitive and seamless experience for handling paragraph shading, highlights, and styles.

1. Open your document: Launch WPS Writer and open the document containing the shaded text.
2. Select the text: Highlight the paragraphs or characters with the unwanted background color.
3. Access the Shading tool: Go to the 'Home' tab and find the 'Shading' icon (paint bucket) in the formatting ribbon.
4. Remove the shading: Click the arrow beside the paint bucket and choose 'No Color' to instantly clear the background.

Easily remove or apply paragraph and character shading with a single click.Fully compatible with Microsoft Word (.docx) formats and formatting styles.Smart 'Paste Without Formatting' options to avoid copying unwanted web background colors.Lightweight, fast, and free to use for all your daily document processing needs.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between highlighting and shading in Word?

Highlight color is designed to resemble a physical highlighter pen and is applied directly over text strings. Shading, on the other hand, is a structural background fill applied to the entire character block or paragraph area. They are managed by separate tools on the Home tab.

Why does text copied from the internet have a colored background?

Webpages use HTML and CSS to dictate background colors. When you copy and paste standardly, Word preserves this source formatting and often interprets it as paragraph or character shading. To prevent this, use the 'Keep Text Only' paste option.

Can I remove shading by modifying paragraph styles?

Yes. If the shading is built into a specific paragraph style, right-click that style in the Styles gallery and select 'Modify'. Go to 'Format', select 'Border', navigate to the 'Shading' tab, and set the Fill color to 'No Color'.

Why didn't the 'Clear All Formatting' button remove the highlight?

'Clear All Formatting' removes font styles and shading, but standard Text Highlight Color is sometimes preserved as a distinct overlay. If a color remains after clearing formatting, select the text, click the arrow next to the 'Text Highlight Color' icon, and choose 'No Color'.

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