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Adobe Dreamweaver CS3

Setting Page Colors with the Page Properties Dialog Box

Colors and backgrounds can add a lot of character to your web pages. Text and background color choices can be selected using the Page Properties dialog box. Keep in mind while choosing colors, not all web browsers will be capable of viewing your exact background and text color combinations.  Luckily, in most cases, they will revert to the browser's default colors with no ill effects. Be aware that colorblind users will be unable to decipher pages with certain color combinations. Testing is required when you choose colors to ensure that the web pages look good from all perspectives. For additional resources regarding color and colorblind users, refer to Web Publishing and Color Vision.

return to topAccessing the Page Properties Dialog Box

The Page Properties dialog box allows you to adjust page elements such as the title, background image, colors, and margins.

  1. From the Modify menu, select Page Properties...
    OR
    Press [Ctrl] + [J]
    The Page Properties dialog box appears.Page Properties dialog box

return to topSetting Page Colors with the Page Properties Dialog Box

Page colors include background color, text color, link color, visited link color, active link color, and rollover link color. You are able to set these colors in the Page Properties dialog box.

Setting Page Colors: Color Box Option

This option allows you to choose color from a color palette. If you want more options for setting page colors, refer to Setting Page Colors: Text Box Option or Applying Page Color with CSS

  1. Access the Page Properties dialog box

  2. Under Category, select Appearance

  3. To set the page background color, click BACKGROUND colorBackground color box
    A color palette appears.

  4. Select the desired color

  5. To set the color for text, click TEXT color Text color box
    A color palette appears.

  6. Select the desired color

  7. Click APPLY
    The background and text colors are applied.

  8. To set the color for the different link selections
    1. Under Category, select Links
    2. Click the appropriate link color box (e.g., Link color, Visited links, Rollover links, Active links)
      A color palette appears.

    3. Select the desired color

  9. To test the results, click APPLY
    To cancel the changes, click CANCEL
    To accept the changes, click OK
    HINT: Remember to test the compatibility of the color of your background with the color of your text and hyperlinks. Though the colors individually may look great, when you place them all together on one page you may find some colors more difficult to read than others.

Setting Page Colors: Text Box Option

For more information on hexadecimal color values, refer to Web Publishing: Color Names and Numbers

  1. Access the Page Properties dialog box

  2. Under Category, select Appearance

  3. To set the page background color, in the Background text box, type the appropriate hexadecimal color value

  4. To set the text color, in the Text text box, type the appropriate hexadecimal color value

  5. Click APPLY

  6. To set the color for the different link selections
    1. Under Category, select Links

    2. In the appropriate link text box(es) (e.g., Link color, Visited links, Rollover links, Active links) type the appropriate hexadecimal color value(s)

  7. To test the results, click APPLY
    To cancel the changes, click CANCEL
    To accept the changes, click OK
    HINT: Remember to test the compatibility of the color of your background with the color of your text and hyperlinks. Though the colors individually may look great, when you place them all together on one page you may find some colors more difficult to read than others.

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