"Changing the theme" in Microsoft Word can mean two things: changing the Office Theme, which controls the color of Word's own interface (for example, switching between light mode and dark mode), or changing the document theme, which controls the fonts, colors, and effects used in your document. This guide covers both, including how to switch Word to light mode, turn the page itself white in dark mode, and set a custom document theme as your default.
Quick Answer
To change how Word looks, go to File > Account and choose an option under Office Theme: Colorful, Dark Gray, Black, White, or Use system setting. For light mode, choose Colorful or White. To change your document's fonts and colors, go to the Design tab and pick a theme from the Themes gallery.
Office Theme vs. Document Theme
| Office Theme | Document theme | |
|---|---|---|
| What it changes | Word's ribbon, menus, and background (light or dark) | Fonts, colors, and effects inside the document |
| Affects other people? | No, only your view | Yes, it is saved in the document |
| Applies to | All Office apps on your PC | The current document (or all new documents if set as default) |
| Where | File > Account > Office Theme | Design > Themes |
Change the Office Theme (Light or Dark Mode)
- Click File.
- Click Account (it may be under More at the bottom of the left pane).
- Open the Office Theme dropdown.
- Choose one of these:
- Colorful: light interface with a colored title bar (Word blue).
- White: light interface with a white title bar.
- Dark Gray: medium-dark interface.
- Black: full dark mode.
- Use system setting: follows your Windows light or dark mode.
You can also change it in File > Options > General > Personalize your copy of Microsoft Office > Office Theme. The change applies to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
Switch Word to Light Mode
If Word suddenly turned dark, it is usually because the Office Theme is set to Black or Use system setting while Windows is in dark mode. To go back to light mode:
- Go to File > Account > Office Theme.
- Choose Colorful or White.
Keep Word dark but make the page white
In Microsoft 365, the Black theme can also turn the document page dark. To keep a dark interface with a white page, click the View tab and select Switch Modes (the sun and moon icon), or go to File > Options > General and check Disable dark mode for the page or Never change the document page color, depending on your version.
Change the Document Theme
- Open your document and click the Design tab.
- Click Themes and hover over the options to preview them.
- Click a theme to apply it.
Themes affect text formatted with theme fonts and colors, such as headings and styles. Text you formatted manually with a specific font or color may not change.
Customize the theme
- Colors: on the Design tab, click Colors and choose a palette, or Customize Colors to build your own.
- Fonts: click Fonts and pick a heading and body font pair, or Customize Fonts.
- Effects: click Effects to change the look of shapes and SmartArt.
- Save it: click Themes > Save Current Theme to reuse it later.
Make a theme the default for new documents
On the Design tab, apply the theme and style set you want, then click Set as Default and confirm. New documents based on the Normal template will use it.
Change the Office Background
In File > Account, the Office Background dropdown adds a small pattern to the top-right of the title bar. Choose No Background for a clean look.
Word for Mac
On a Mac, Word follows macOS appearance by default. To force light mode, go to Word > Preferences (Settings) > General and check Turn off Dark Mode. Document themes work the same way on the Design tab.
If the page looks dark, see how to make the Word background white.
Troubleshooting
The Office Theme option is missing
Older versions have fewer choices. Make sure Office is updated through File > Account > Update Options > Update Now.
Theme resets after restarting
If you use Use system setting, Word follows Windows. Choose a specific theme instead.
Document theme does not change my text
The text likely uses manual formatting. Select it and press Ctrl + Space to clear character formatting, or apply built-in styles.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get Word out of dark mode?
Go to File > Account > Office Theme and choose Colorful or White.
Does dark mode affect printing?
No. Documents print with their actual colors regardless of the Office Theme.
Can I have a different theme in Excel than in Word?
No. The Office Theme applies to all Office apps together.
Summary
- For Word's appearance, use File > Account > Office Theme.
- Choose Colorful or White for light mode, Black for dark mode.
- For your document's look, use Design > Themes, Colors, and Fonts.
- Click Set as Default to use a document theme for new files.
Kermit Matthews is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with more than a decade of experience writing technology guides. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has spent much of his professional career in IT management.
He specializes in writing content about iPhones, Android devices, Microsoft Office, and many other popular applications and devices.