Pick the background color
Background color is a color field that starts at white, #FFFFFF. Click it to open the picker your browser provides, and select the shade the pages should sit on.
Replace PDF colors
or drop a file anywhere here
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Files other than PDF are converted first. Signing in raises the size limit.
Or start from a blank IRS form
Browse all IRS forms →- You add
- One PDF
- You set
- A background color and a text color
- You get
- One PDF in your two colors
Replacing colors gives a PDF a background color and a text color of your choosing. On this page you add one PDF and set two fields, Background color and Text color. Each one opens the color picker of your browser. The form starts with a white background and black text, and both fields are required. Run the job and you download one PDF made with that pair. The tool does not ask which existing color to look for, so it cannot turn only the red headings blue. It sets two colors for the document as a whole. For ready-made pairs such as white text on black, Invert Colors has a menu of four.
What can you do when you replace PDF colors?
Pick the text color
Text color starts at black, #000000. Choose a shade that stands clear of the background, because the tool sends the pair as given and does not check that it is readable.
Send exact colors, not a preset
The page runs in its Custom colors mode and sends the two values you selected. Two files processed with the same pair get the same request, which helps when a set of handouts should match.
Try another pair on the same file
Nothing on your device is changed, so the original colors stay available. Choose Convert another, add the PDF again and select new colors until the pages read well.
What replacing colors keeps and what it changes
Stays the same
- Images, photos and drawn shapes. The engine recolors text and the page background and does not touch pictures.
- Page count, page size and page order.
- The file on your device. You download a recolored copy.
Changes
- A solid rectangle in your background color is added behind each page's content, so a page that already has a full-page image or fill can hide it.
- Each character of text is drawn again on top in your text color. The original text stays underneath in its first color.
- A character the font cannot encode may be drawn with another standard font, and as an asterisk when none fits.
- Every page gets the same pair. There is no page range.
Which color pair for which job
| You want | Background | Text color |
|---|---|---|
| Easier reading on screen at night | A dark color such as black or deep gray | A light color such as white or pale yellow |
| A softer page for long reading | Off-white or cream | Dark gray instead of pure black |
| A printout with less ink | White | Black or dark gray |
| Text that stays readable for everyone | Any | Pick a pair with strong contrast. WCAG asks for a ratio of at least 4.5 to 1 for normal text. |
How to replace PDF colors in 3 steps
Upload one PDF
Drop the file you want to recolor on the upload box, or press Choose file and select it from your device.
Select the two colors
Click Background color and choose a shade, then do the same for Text color.
Run the recoloring and download
Press Run Replace Colors. After the page reports that your file is ready, choose Download and read a page or two in the new colors.
Why replace PDF colors with indox?
Two color fields are the whole form. Each field shows the color it holds, so you can see the pair before you run anything, and the page sends those exact values. That suits a house style: note the two color codes once and reuse them on every file. One recoloring job runs without an account. Uploads and downloads use HTTPS, and files handled on the free tier are deleted automatically within 24 hours after the job finishes. The page is also plain about its reach. It cannot target one color among many, it has no preview, and it gives no report on photos or charts, so look over the download before you pass it on.
- A picker for the background
- A picker for the text
- Both fields prefilled with white and black
- No account for one recoloring job
- Free-tier files deleted within 24 hours
What are the limits when you replace PDF colors?
- Size
- The free tier has a file size limit. Signing in raises it, and paid plans raise it further.
- Formats
- This tool works on PDF files. To change a file's type, use the PDF converter.
- Privacy
- Files are encrypted in transit and processed on indox infrastructure.
- Deletion
- Free-tier files are deleted automatically within 24 hours after the job finishes. Signed-in output stays in your history for your plan's retention period.
Limits worth knowing
- The form has no field for a color to search for. It cannot find one color in the document and swap only that one, so a single red heading cannot be turned blue while the rest stays as it was.
- Both fields must hold a color. They start at white and black, so running the job without touching them asks for a white background with black text.
- The pair applies to the whole file, with no page range, and no preview is shown before the download.
- Nothing checks how readable your pair is. A pale text color on a pale background is sent as chosen, and the result can be hard to read.
- No report is given on images, charts or selectable text. Review those in the result if they matter for your document.
When the result is not what you expected
| What you see | Why | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| The background does not change | The pages hold a full-page image or fill that covers the new background | This tool cannot lift that picture. If you can do without the images, take them out with Remove Images first. |
| Old text shows through around the new text | The original text stays underneath the redrawn text | Pick a text color close to the old one so the overlap is hard to see. |
| Some letters turned into asterisks | The font could not encode those characters and no standard font could draw them | Fix the characters in the source document and export the PDF again. |
| The text is hard to read | The pair has low contrast and nothing checks it | Run it again with colors that stand further apart. |
| A scanned page barely changed | A scan is a picture with no text to redraw, and the picture covers the new background | Expect little change on a scan. The picture keeps its own colors. |
What do the free and paid plans add?
Free
- All converters
- Daily credit refresh
- Email support
Basic
- Access to all features
- AI Extract
- Priority conversions
- Email support
Highest priority
Premium
- Everything in Basic
- Highest priority queue
- Larger file limits
- Priority support
Pay-As-You-Go
- No subscription
- Credits never expire
- Opt-in auto-refill
- Access to all features
What else can you do with a PDF?
Who replaces PDF colors?
Readers with a preferred color pair
Some readers find a cream page with dark blue text easier on the eyes than black on white. Select those two shades and keep the copy for your own reading.
Trainers matching handouts to a theme
A set of handouts should share one background and one text color. Write down the two color codes and use them for each file.
People preparing a low-ink print
A document with a tinted background uses extra ink. Set Background color to white and Text color to black, then check the pages before you print.
When to replace colors, and when to pick another tool
- You want a soft background color for long reading sessions on screen.
- Several documents should share the same two colors.
- A tinted page should be tried on a white background before printing.
- You want a dark background with a text color that is not on a preset list.
- You only want white text on black. Invert Colors offers that scheme as a preset, with nothing to pick.
Where can I read more?
Sources
- ReplaceAndInvertColorController source, v2.14.2Stirling-PDF on GitHub
- CustomColorReplaceStrategy source, v2.14.2Stirling-PDF on GitHub
- Understanding Success Criterion 1.4.3: Contrast (Minimum)W3C
Facts checked on October 16, 2026
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Replace colors FAQs
How do I change the background color of a PDF?
Add the PDF, click Background color and choose a shade in the picker. Set Text color as well, since both fields are required, then run the job.
Can I replace one specific color with another?
No. The form asks for a background color and a text color, and it has no field for the color to look for. It sets one pair for the whole document.
What happens if I leave the default colors?
The fields start at white for the background and black for the text. Running the job as it stands asks for exactly that pair.
Can I type a hex code?
The fields are standard color inputs, so how you enter a color depends on the picker in your browser. The picker hands back a six-digit hex color, and the page passes that exact color to the job.
Can I make the background transparent?
No. A color field returns a solid six-digit color and carries no transparency value.
Will images and charts change color too?
This page does not report how pictures are treated. Open the download and look at any photo, logo or chart that matters to you.
Is an account required to replace colors?
A single file can be recolored without signing in. Replace Colors is marked with the free badge.
Can I recolor a password-protected PDF?
The form has two color fields and no password box. Take the password off with Unlock PDF first, provided you are allowed to open the file.