Formatting Issues

Make Word Headers and Footers Accessible with Black Text

Rana Garcia Sep 28, 2026 870 views

Question details

Users need to ensure header and footer text maintains high contrast (black text) for accessibility, but the text often appears gray while editing the main document.

How to Ensure Word Headers and Footers Are Accessible with Black Text

Product: Microsoft Word
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Checking document accessibility and color contrast for headers and footers.
Observed behavior: Word automatically dims header and footer text to gray when the main document body is active, creating an apparent contrast issue.

Before you start

Keep in mind that the gray appearance of headers and footers in Word is a built-in interface feature to separate them from the main text; it does not change your actual font color.

Solution 1Recommended

Activate the Header or Footer to View True Colors

By bringing the header or footer into focus, Word temporarily removes the dimming effect, allowing you to see the actual text color.

Word dims inactive sections of a document to help users focus on the active editing area. When you edit the main body, headers are dimmed. When you edit headers, the main body is dimmed.

Double-click the header area

Move your cursor to the very top or bottom of your document page and double-click to open the Header & Footer editing mode.

Verify the font color

Highlight the text and check the font color in the Home tab. If it is set to Automatic or Black, it has full contrast despite how it looks when inactive.

Activate the Header or Footer to View True Colors

Accessibility Check: Screen readers like JAWS can properly read headers and footers when you navigate to them, regardless of the visual dimming effect.

Solution 2

Use Print Preview to Confirm Output Contrast

Print Preview shows the document exactly as it will appear when printed or exported to PDF, without any interface dimming effects.

Edit Documents Smoothly with WPS Writer

Manage Headers and Footers Easily in WPS Office

WPS Writer offers an intuitive interface for editing headers, footers, and checking document accessibility. It processes Word documents flawlessly while providing clear, easy-to-use formatting tools.

1. Download and install WPS Office: Get the free WPS Office suite from the official website and install it on your device.
2. Open your document in WPS Writer: Launch WPS Writer and open your existing Word document to retain all header and footer formatting.
3. Access the header and footer: Double-click the top or bottom margin to enter editing mode and verify your text color.
4. Preview your final document: Go to Menu > Print to see exactly how your black header and footer text will look without editing distractions.

Perfectly compatible with Microsoft Word (.docx) formatsClear and intuitive Print Preview for accessibility checksLightweight and free alternative for everyday document editing

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I disable the gray dimming effect for headers and footers in Word?

No, the dimming effect is a built-in design feature in Microsoft Word to help users distinguish between the active editing area and inactive areas. It cannot be turned off.

Will my headers and footers print in gray if they look gray on screen?

No. The gray appearance is only a visual interface effect. If your font color is set to Black or Automatic, the text will print in solid black.

How do I test header accessibility with a screen reader?

Screen readers treat headers and footers as separate document sections. You can test them by manually navigating your screen reader into the header or footer area, where tools like JAWS will read the text normally.

Document & File Issues