The fastest way to change your canvas background

Open the File menu, select Document Setup, and look for the Artboard tab. Under Background Color, click the checkbox next to White (or whatever color is currently selected) to turn it on, then click the color swatch next to it to open the color picker. Choose your new color and click OK. The canvas background updates when ready.

This method changes the artboard background — what you see on screen and what prints or exports with your file. It is different from changing the color of objects you have drawn on top of the artboard, which uses the fill and stroke tools instead.

Key Takeaways

  • The artboard background color lives in File > Document Setup > Artboard tab, not in the color panels.
  • You must check the Background Color checkbox first; if it is unchecked, the setting does nothing.
  • The background color you set here is what exports with your file when you save as PDF or other formats.
  • If you want to change only what you see on screen without affecting the exported file, use the View menu instead.

Using the color picker to select your background

Once you click the color swatch in Document Setup, Illustrator opens the system color picker (on Mac) or the Illustrator color dialog (on Windows). You can enter exact values if you are matching a brand color: type RGB numbers, hex codes, or CMYK percentages depending on your document color mode.

If you are working in RGB mode and need a specific hex code — say #FF5733 — paste it into the hex field. If you are in CMYK mode for print, enter the four percentages. The preview updates as you type, so you can see the new background color before you confirm.

Changing what you see on screen without affecting exports

If you want a different background color just for working on screen — to reduce eye strain or see your artwork more clearly — use the View menu instead. Click View > Overprint Preview or Pixel Preview to toggle different display modes, each with its own background appearance.

For more control, go to Edit > Preferences (Windows) or Illustrator > Preferences (Mac), then select User Interface. Under Canvas Color, you can set a custom background just for your workspace. This does not change what exports — it only changes what you see while working.

Why your background color checkbox might be unchecked

By default, Illustrator leaves the background color checkbox unchecked, which means the artboard has no background color at all — it is transparent. When you export to PDF or print, a transparent artboard becomes white. If you want a colored background to actually export with your file, you must check that checkbox in Document Setup.

If you have checked the box but the color is not showing, make sure you clicked OK at the bottom of the Document Setup dialog. Clicking outside the dialog or pressing Escape closes it without saving your changes.

Setting background color for multiple artboards

If your document has more than one artboard, the background color you set in Document Setup applies to all of them at once. If you need different background colors on different artboards, you will need to create separate documents or use a workaround: draw a rectangle the size of each artboard, fill it with the color you want, and lock it to the back of that artboard's layers.

To lock a layer or object, select it and press Ctrl+2 (Windows) or Cmd+2 (Mac). This prevents you from accidentally moving or editing it while you work on the artwork above.

Exporting files with your background color

When you export your Illustrator file to PDF, PNG, JPG, or other formats, the background color you set in Document Setup is included in the export. If you export to PDF and the background does not appear, check that the background color checkbox was on when you saved the document.

For PNG and other transparent formats, the background color may not export the same way — those formats can preserve transparency instead. If you need the background color to be solid in the final file, export to PDF or flatten the artwork before exporting to PNG.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my background color not showing up?

The background color checkbox in Document Setup is probably unchecked. Open File > Document Setup, go to the Artboard tab, and make sure the checkbox next to Background Color has a checkmark. If it does, click OK to explore the change.

Can I have different background colors on different artboards?

Not directly — Document Setup applies one background color to all artboards. The workaround is to draw a rectangle on each artboard, fill it with the color you want, and lock it to the back layer using Ctrl+2 (Windows) or Cmd+2 (Mac).

Does the background color print when I print my document?

Yes, if the background color checkbox is on in Document Setup, it will print. If you do not want it to print, uncheck the box before printing, or delete the background color and use a separate rectangle layer instead.

How do I change just the workspace background, not the artboard?

Go to Edit > Preferences (Windows) or Illustrator > Preferences (Mac), select User Interface, and change the Canvas Color. This affects only what you see on screen, not what exports.