Change Colours

Learn how to change the text and background colours for web pages you visit to make them more readable.

Help for users with Microsoft Windows based computers.

Help for users with Apple Macintosh OS X based computers.

Internet Explorer 7

Using your mouse:

  1. Open the Tools menu.
  2. Select Internet Options.
  3. Select the Accessibility button.
  4. Check the box "Ignore colours specified on web page."
  5. To confirm your choice and return to Internet Options click the OK icon. The text and backgrounds on websites will now display the colour scheme set on your computer. If you are satisfied with this colour scheme, press OK.

Using your keyboard:

  1. Press Alt and T on your keyboard to open the Tools menu.
  2. Press Alt and O on your keyboard to select Internet Options.
  3. Press Alt and E on your keyboard to select Accessibility.
  4. Press Alt and C on your keyboard to "Ignore colours specified on web page."
  5. To confirm your choice and return to Internet Options press Enter on your keyboard. The text and backgrounds on websites will now display the colour scheme set on your computer. If you are satisfied with this colour scheme hit Enter on your keyboard to return to the browser.

Internet Explorer accessibility menu

If you prefer a personalized colour scheme:

Using your mouse:

  1. Open Internet Options box and use your mouse to select the Colours button.
  2. Uncheck the default "Use Windows Colours" option. 
  3. Select the Text button. You must de-select "Use Windows Colours" before this will work.
  4. Use your mouse to select your preferred text colour. Repeat Step 2 for the background colour.
  5. Press OK twice to return to the browser.

Using your keyboard:

  1. Press Alt and O on your keyboard to open the Internet Options box.
  2. To de-select the default “Use Windows Colours” option, press Alt and W.
  3. Press Alt and T on your keyboard to select the Text button. You must de-select "Use Windows Colours" before this will work.
  4. Use the arrow keys on your keyboard to select your preferred text colour. Repeat Step 2 for the background colour. Press Alt and B on your keyboard to select the background colour pallet.
  5. Hit Enter twice on your keyboard to return to the browser.

Internet Explorer internet options dialogue box

Mozilla Firefox for Mac OS X

Using your mouse:

  1. Click on the Firefox menu.
  2. Click on Preferences.
  3. Click on the Content tab.
  4. Click on the Colours button.
  5. To choose your Mac OS system colours click on the Use System Colors checkbox.
  6. If you do not want to use the Mac OS system colours, click on the coloured boxes next to Text, Background, Unvisited Links and Visited Links to select a new color for each.
  7. Click on the Allow pages to choose their own colours checkbox so that the checkmark disappears.
  8. Click on the OK button to close the Colours dialogue box and return to Firefox.

Using your keyboard:

  1. Press Control and F2 and then press Enter to open the Firefox menu.
  2. Use the down arrow key to highlight Preferences and then press Enter.
  3. Press Control and F7 and then the right arrow key to highlight the Content tab and then press Enter.
  4. Use the tab key repeatedly to highlight the Colours button and press the Spacebar.
  5. To choose your Mac OS system colours, use the tab key to highlight the Use System Colors checkbox and press the Spacebar.
  6. If you do not want to use the Mac OS system colours, use the tab key to highlight the coloured boxes next to Text, Background, Unvisited Links and Visited Links and then use the arrow keys to highlight a new color for each. Press the Spacebar to select that color.
  7. Use the tab key to highlight the Allow pages to choose their own colours checkbox and press the Spacebar until the checkmark disappears.
  8. Press Enter to close the Colours dialogue box and return to Firefox.

Mozilla Firefox for Mac content tab

** Note that the current version of Safari does not provide options to change text and background colors.