You can edit PDF color for text, highlights, shapes, and backgrounds with Smallpdf’s Edit PDF in just a few steps.
Many people think PDFs are fixed, but you can change colors inside them. Maybe you need to adjust the PDF font color, add a checkmark in a different shade, or even switch the background color of a page. With Edit PDF, you can do all that within a few steps.
Here’s how to use it step by step.
How to Change PDF Color
Smallpdf’s Edit PDF lets you adjust text, highlights, and shapes. Here’s how:
Step 1: Open Smallpdf’s Edit PDF
Go to Edit PDF. The upload box will appear.
Step 2: Upload Your File
Drag and drop your PDF, or click to import it from Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive.
Step 3: Select the Element
Click on the text, shape, or highlight you want to edit. A toolbar will appear showing color options.
Step 4: Change the Color
- For text, click the color box in the toolbar and pick a new font color for your PDF.
- For highlights, select the highlight and choose a new shade.
- For shapes or checkmarks, click the shape and use the fill and border color options.
How to Change PDF Color
Step 5: Save Your PDF
Click Export, then download the updated PDF or save it back to your connected cloud folder.
How to Change PDF Background Color
You can also change the PDF background color by overlaying a shape behind your content.
- In Edit PDF, click Shapes in the toolbar.
- Select the rectangle shape.
- Place it over the entire page.
- Set the fill color to your desired background shade.
- Move it to the back so your text and other elements stay visible.
This is useful for creating themed documents, presentations, or making text easier to read.
How to Change Highlight Color in a PDF
If you highlight text in a PDF but need a different color, you can adjust it in Edit PDF: 1. Click on the highlighted area. 2. The color options appear in the toolbar. 3. Pick a new color from the palette.
This way, you can group highlights by color — yellow for notes, green for approvals, red for corrections. If you also need to adjust font color for your PDF, Smallpdf’s Edit PDF lets you change text colors in just a few steps.
How to Edit Colors in a Fillable PDF Form
Fillable forms often have checkboxes, radio buttons, or typed text. With Edit PDF, you can edit the colors of these elements: 1. Upload the PDF form to Edit PDF. 2. Select the form element. 3. Change its color in the editing toolbar.
This helps customize forms or make selections more visible when sharing them.
How to Remove a Color or Symbol in a PDF
Sometimes you need to undo a color or delete a mark:
- Highlights: Click the highlight and press Delete.
- Shapes or checkmarks: Select the element and press Delete.
- Background overlay: Click the shape covering the page and remove it.
If a color is “baked in” (part of a scanned PDF), you won’t be able to change it directly — you’ll need to reapply your own colors using shapes or highlights.
Change the Color of a PDF Document For Free
PDF color adjustments are simple with Smallpdf. You can change the PDF background color, adjust highlights, edit text colors, or add marks in any shade you need.
Once finished, you can download your updated file or save it directly back to Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive.
With Smallpdf’s Edit PDF, you’re in full control of your document’s appearance.
FAQs
1. How do I change the color of a PDF?
Upload your file to Smallpdf’s Edit PDF, select the element you want to adjust, and choose a new color from the toolbar.
2. How to convert colors in PDF?
Upload your file and manually change the colors of text, highlights, or backgrounds using Smallpdf’s Edit PDF.
