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Apply color to text, objects, and backgrounds
Last updated on
Jun 2, 2026
Learn how to apply fills and strokes to objects in Adobe InDesign using the Toolbox, Control panel, Swatches, Color panel, or Color Picker.
When you apply color, you can choose if it affects the object's stroke or fill. The stroke is the border, while the fill is the background. For text frames, you can decide whether the color change applies to the frame or the text.
Select the object to color:
- For a path or frame, use the Selection tool or Direct Selection tool.
- For a grayscale or monochrome (1-bit) image, use the Content Grabber or the Direct Selection tool.
- For text characters, use the Type tool.
In the Toolbox, select the Formatting affects Text icon or Formatting affects container icon.
You can also select the icons in the Color or Swatches (Window > Color) panel.
In the Toolbox, select the Fill icon or Stroke icon to specify the fill or stroke of the object. If you selected an image, the Stroke option has no effect. You can also select these icons in the Color or Swatches panel.
Apply a color by choosing a color, tint, or gradient from the Swatches panel.
You can also apply color from the Gradient (Window > Color) panel, the Fill or Stroke menu in the Control panel, or the Color Picker dialog box (double-click Fill icon or Stroke icon in the toolbox).
Select OK.
Note
- To change the color of gaps in a dashed, dotted, or striped stroke, use the Stroke panel.
- You can apply color to grayscale images that don't contain alpha or spot channels.
- For images with a clipping path, select the clipping path using the Direct Selection tool to apply color only to the clipped area.
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