How To Change The Background Color In Inkscape

• March 14, 2023
• Nick Saporito
• 10 comments

In this tutorial we’ll be going over how to change the background color of the canvas and workspace in Inkscape. We’ll also be going over how to save these changes so that they’re applied every time you launch Inkscape.

By default, Inkscape opens with a white canvas (or “page” as it’s called) and a light gray workspace (“desk”). These can both be changed in the Document Properties menu, but the changes will only apply to the document you’re working on. The next time you launch Inkscape you will have a white and dark gray work area again.

Let’s address this in more detail and go over a simple workaround.

Change The Background Color In Inkscape

The following video tutorial will walk you through the entire process in just one minute:

Continue on for a written overview.

How To Change The Color Of The Workspace

Let’s first have a look at how to change the color of the page and the workspace in Inkscape, then we’ll go over how to save your changes as the default.

Step 1: Check to ensure you’re using version 1.2 or later

Inkscape has undergone many changes over the past few years, so it’s important to ensure that you’re using an up-to-date version, otherwise this tutorial may not be helpful.

To check which version of Inkscape you’re using, go here if you’re a Windows or Linux user:

Help > About Inkscape

If you’re a Mac user then it would be:

Inkscape > About Inkscape

Somewhere on the splash screen you will see a version indicated. Make sure you are using version 1.2 or later. If you’re using an older version than that, go here to update your Inkscape installation.

Step 2: Open the Document Properties menu

The background color settings are located in the Document Properties menu, which can be accessed by navigating to:

File > Document Properties

It can also be accessed by pressing Control + Shift + D (or Command + Shift + D for Mac users.)

Step 3: Change the Page and Desk colors using the menu interface

Towards the bottom-right of the Document Properties menu you will see three boxes labeled as follows:

1. Page: This represents the color of the document.
2. Border: This represents the color of the border around the document.
3. Desk: This represents the open workspace around your document.

Click to enlarge.

Clicking on either of them will open a color picker menu where you can choose a new color:

Click to enlarge.

Once you are finished, simply close out of the menus. It should be noted that these changes only apply to the document you’re currently working on. Next time you launch Inkscape, it will open with the same background colors as it previously did.

How To Make These Changes The Default Setting

Let’s say you really like these settings and want to use them regularly without having to manually input them each time you launch Inkscape.

Although there is no setting that directly allows you to do this, the Templates feature can be used as a workaround.

Save your document as a template

The templates feature in Inkscape allows you to save your document as the default document that opens each time you open Inkscape, and it can certainly be used to change the default background color in Inkscape.

To do so, navigate to:

File > Save Template

A small menu should open:

Click to enlarge.

Simply input whatever name you’d like for your document and check the box at the bottom of the menu that reads “set as default template“. Click Save to apply the changes.

Inkscape will now launch with these settings in place each time. To test it out, close Inkscape and launch it again.

In Conclusion

Unlike previous versions of Inkscape, the process for changing the default background color is now easier because everything is labeled better and the Document Properties menu has been overhauled to be more organized. Still, it would be great to be able to apply these changes as the default from directly within the menu, without having to save a template.

Either way, it’s a simple process!

Learn To Master The Software Gain a complete understanding of your favorite design apps with my comprehensive collection of video courses. Each course grants access to our private community where you can ask questions and get help when needed.   81 Videos   11 Modules The Inkscape Master Class Tutorials, quizzes and practice exercises for learning every tool & feature in Inkscape.   Nick Saporito Price: $17   77 Videos   7 Modules Affinity Designer Master Class Tutorials, quizzes and practice exercises for learning every tool & feature in Affinity Designer.   Nick Saporito Price: $17   98 Videos   7 Modules Illustrator Master Class Tutorials, quizzes and practice exercises for learning every tool & feature in Illustrator.   Nick Saporito Price: $17   70 Videos   9 Modules GIMP Master Class Learn how to use all of the primary tools and features in the GIMP application.   Nick Saporito Price: $17 View All Courses