How to Change Background Color in WordPress (Beginner Guide)

How to Change the Background Color in WordPress (2023 Guide)

Are you looking to give your WordPress website a fresh new look? Changing the background color is a quick and easy way to completely transform the feel of your site. Whether you want to personalize your site‘s appearance, improve readability, or just experiment with new color schemes, learning how to change the background color in WordPress is a valuable skill for any website owner.

In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll walk you through multiple methods for changing your WordPress background color. With helpful tips, step-by-step instructions, and plenty of images, you‘ll be personalizing your site‘s background color in no time – no coding skills required! Let‘s dive in.

Why Change Your WordPress Background Color?

Before we jump into the how-to, let‘s discuss some of the key reasons you might want to change your WordPress background color:

1. Personalization & Branding
   The background color is one of the first things visitors notice when landing on your site. Choosing a background color that reflects your unique style and aligns with your brand identity can help create a cohesive, polished look.

2. Readability & Accessibility
   The right background color can actually make your site‘s content more readable and accessible. For example, if you have a bright, light-colored font, a dark background can provide essential contrast. It‘s important to consider accessibility for visitors with visual impairments as well.

3. Visual Interest
   A different background color can instantly make your site more eye-catching and engaging. A splash of bold color can add visual interest, while muted tones create a soft, inviting feel. Changing up your background color is an easy way to refresh your site‘s look without a full redesign.

4. Highlighting Important Content
   Strategic use of background colors can draw attention to key content or sections of your site. For example, you might use a different color for your call-to-action buttons to make them "pop."

Now that we‘ve covered the why, let‘s move on to the how. Here are X ways to change your WordPress background color in 2023:

Method 1: Use the WordPress Theme Customizer

Most WordPress themes released in the past few years include built-in options for personalizing your site‘s colors, including the background. The WordPress theme customizer is the easiest way to change your background color without any coding.

Here‘s how to change your background color using the theme customizer:

1. Log in to your WordPress dashboard.
2. Go to Appearance > Customize in the left sidebar menu. The theme customizer will open.
3. Look for options related to colors or background. The exact labels will vary based on your theme. You may see options like "Colors," "Background," "Background Color," or something similar.
4. If your theme offers a background color option, you‘ll see a color picker tool. Click on the color picker.
5. Choose your desired background color. You can select from the preset swatches, click the colored circle to choose a custom color, or enter a hex color code if you have one.
6. The theme customizer will show a real-time preview of your changes. If you‘re happy with the new background color, click the "Publish" button at the top to make it live.

Not all themes have a background color option in the customizer. If yours doesn‘t, don‘t worry – there are still plenty of other methods to try.

Method 2: Use the Full Site Editor (Block-Based Themes)

With the release of WordPress 5.9 in early 2022, WordPress introduced a new feature called the Full Site Editor. This allows you to visually design your entire site using blocks, just like the block editor for posts and pages. However, the Full Site Editor is currently only available for block-based themes.

If you‘re using a block-based theme like Twenty Twenty-Two, you can use the Full Site Editor to change your background color:

1. From your WordPress dashboard, go to Appearance > Editor.
2. In the Full Site Editor, click on the element you want to change the background color for. You can select the entire page, a specific section, or an individual block.
3. In the block settings sidebar on the right, look for the "Color" settings. You may need to scroll down or expand a section like "Background."
4. Choose your desired background color using the color picker tools. You can also enter a hex color code.
5. To apply the background color to the entire page, you‘ll need to select the "Post Content" block that wraps your whole page. Look for the blue outline that appears when you hover over the main content area and click it to select the Post Content block.
6. Customize your background color as described above.
7. When you‘re done, click the "Save" button at the top to publish your changes.

Note that you can use this method to set different background colors for different pages or sections. However, keep in mind that not all themes are compatible with the Full Site Editor yet.

Method 3: Add Custom CSS

If your theme doesn‘t have background color options built-in, you can change your background color by adding a bit of custom CSS code. Don‘t worry – you don‘t need to be a developer to do this! Just follow these steps:

1. From your WordPress dashboard, go to Appearance > Customize.
2. In the theme customizer, click on the "Additional CSS" option. It may be under a menu like "Advanced."
3. In the CSS code editor, paste the following code:

body {
background-color: #FFF;
}

4. Replace #FFF with your desired color‘s hex code. You can find hex codes by using a color picker tool like ColorZilla or searching for "hex color picker" on Google.

5. If you only want to change the background color for a specific page or section, you‘ll need to find the right CSS selector. You can use your browser‘s "Inspect Element" tool to find the correct selector. Right-click on the element and choose "Inspect."

6. Replace "body" in the CSS snippet with the selector you found. For example, if you want to change the background color of a section with the class "hero", you‘d use:

.hero {
background-color: #FFF;
}

7. Click the "Publish" button to save your changes.

The custom CSS method takes a bit more work than using the theme customizer or Full Site Editor, but it‘s really flexible. You can target specific areas of your site and customize to your heart‘s content! Just be aware that your custom CSS will be overwritten if you change themes.

Method 4: Use a Plugin

If you‘re not comfortable messing with code, you can also use a plugin to change your WordPress background color. There are a few good free options like:

• Simple Custom CSS
• Customize WordPress with CSS
• CSS Hero

We‘ll use Simple Custom CSS for this example. Here‘s how to install and use it:

1. From your WordPress dashboard, go to Plugins > Add New.
2. Search for "Simple Custom CSS."
3. Click "Install Now" and then "Activate."
4. In your dashboard sidebar, go to Appearance > Custom CSS.
5. Add the same CSS code snippets we used in Method 3 to change your background color:

body {
background-color: #FFF;
}

6. Replace #FFF with your chosen color‘s hex code.
7. Click "Update Custom CSS" to save your changes.

The plugin option is great if you‘re wary of accidentally breaking your site with errant code. Just keep in mind that anything you customize with Simple Custom CSS or another CSS plugin will apply to your entire site, not just one page or post.

Method 5: Edit Theme Files Directly (Advanced)

If you‘re comfortable with editing your theme‘s code files directly, you can change your background color in your theme‘s stylesheet. This method is best for more advanced users, as it‘s possible to break your site if you make a mistake. Always make a backup before editing theme files!

Here‘s how to change your background color in your theme‘s stylesheet:

1. Connect to your site via FTP/SFTP or open the file manager in your hosting control panel.
2. Navigate to your theme‘s folder. If you‘re not sure where it is, it‘s usually under /wp-content/themes/your-theme-name/.
3. Open the file called style.css. This is your theme‘s main stylesheet.
4. Look for a section that sets styles for the tag. It may look something like this:

body {
font-family: Arial, sans-serif;
font-size: 16px;
color: #333;
}

5. Add a line for the background-color property and your chosen hex color code:

body {
font-family: Arial, sans-serif;
font-size: 16px;
color: #333;
background-color: #FFF;
}

6. Save the style.css file.

Note that editing your theme files directly means your changes may be overwritten if the theme is updated. Consider creating a child theme if you want to customize your theme files extensively.

Tips for Choosing a Background Color

Now that you know how to change your background color, here are a few tips for choosing the right color:

1. Consider your branding. Choose a color that complements your logo and other brand elements.

2. Think about readability. Make sure there‘s enough contrast between your background color and text color for easy reading.

3. Use color psychology. Colors can evoke emotions and set the tone for your site. For example, blue is calming and trustworthy, while red is passionate and bold.

4. Don‘t forget accessibility. Some color combinations can be hard to read for people with visual impairments. Use a contrast checker tool to make sure your background and text colors have sufficient contrast.

5. Test on multiple devices. Colors can look different on various screens and devices. Check your site on mobile phones, tablets, and desktops to make sure your background color looks good everywhere.

Background Colors vs. Background Images or Videos

Solid background colors are just one way to spice up your WordPress site‘s appearance. Here are a few other background options to consider:

• Background images: You can use an image as your site‘s background for a more eye-catching look. WordPress has a built-in Background Image option under Appearance > Customize. You can upload your own photo or graphic, or choose from a library of free stock images.

• Background patterns: Repeating patterns or textures can add subtle visual interest to your site. You can find free background patterns on sites like Subtle Patterns or create your own.

• Background gradients: A gradient is a smooth transition between two or more colors. You can create a background gradient using CSS for a modern, stylized look.

• Background videos: If you really want to make a statement, you can use a video as your site‘s background. Keep in mind that background videos can be distracting and may slow down your site, so use them judiciously!

Page Builders: An Alternative Way to Customize Your Site‘s Look

If you want even more control over your WordPress site‘s appearance, including background colors, you might want to consider using a page builder plugin. Page builders provide a visual, drag-and-drop interface for designing your site‘s layout and styles.

Some popular page builder plugins include:

• Elementor
• Divi
• Beaver Builder

With a page builder, you can customize your background colors, images, and other design elements on a per-page or per-section basis without messing with code. Page builders also often come with pre-built templates and color schemes to make designing your site quick and easy.

However, keep in mind that page builders can add bloat to your site and make it harder to switch themes or troubleshoot issues down the line. They‘re best for users who want a lot of design flexibility and are willing to commit to a specific tool.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if I want different background colors on different pages?

If you want to use different background colors for different pages or sections of your site, you have a few options:

• Use a page builder plugin like Elementor or Divi that lets you set custom background colors on a per-page basis.
• Add custom CSS that targets specific pages or sections using unique selectors like page or section IDs. You can use a tool like the browser Inspector to find the right selectors.
• Create a custom page template for pages that need a different background color and add the necessary CSS to the template file.

How do I make a background image span the full screen?

To make a background image span the full width and height of the browser window, you‘ll need to use some CSS:

body {
background: url(‘path/to/image.jpg‘) center center / cover no-repeat fixed;
}

This CSS sets the background image to center both horizontally and vertically, scale to cover the whole screen, not repeat, and stay fixed in place when the user scrolls. Note that full-screen background images can impact site performance, so use them sparingly.

What if my new background color looks bad or makes text hard to read?

If your new background color doesn‘t look quite right, don‘t panic! You can always revert back to the default background color by:

• Removing any custom CSS you added for the background color
• Restoring the default settings in the WordPress theme customizer
• Rolling back to a previous version of your theme files if you edited them directly

To avoid readability issues, make sure to choose background and text colors that have sufficient color contrast. You can check your color combo using a contrast checker tool like WebAIM‘s Color Contrast Checker.

Can I use a GIF as my background?

Yes, you can use an animated GIF as your WordPress background just like a static image. However, keep in mind that animated backgrounds can be very distracting and may slow down your site. Use animated GIFs sparingly and make sure they complement rather than compete with your content.

Conclusion

Changing your WordPress background color is a simple way to customize your site‘s appearance and make it stand out from the crowd. Whether you use the WordPress theme customizer, add custom CSS, or install a plugin, you have plenty of options for setting a background color that reflects your unique style and brand.

When choosing a background color, keep best practices like accessibility, readability, and responsiveness in mind. Don‘t be afraid to experiment with different colors, images, and textures until you find the perfect look for your site!

With the methods outlined in this post, you‘re well on your way to creating a beautiful, personalized WordPress site. Happy customizing!