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How to change the background color of multiple artboards: If you wish to quickly change the background color of all your artboards in a project, set a simulated paper color. The option to change the simulated paper color will not work in changing the color of a single artboard. Use the Fill (X) option from the left-hand Tool Bar.Select the Rectangle Tool (M) and draw a rectangle inside your artboard and fit it to all four edges.Select the artboard you wish to change the color of.If you are working on a project with multiple artboards, but want to change the background color of only one, follow this method. You now have a locked color layer as the base layer of your project! How to change the background color of a single artboard:.Lastly, open the Layers panel ( Window > Layers), move the new rectangle to the very bottom of the panel, and toggle on the Lock icon (next to the Eye icon).Using the Fill option (X) from the left-hand Tool Bar, change the color of your new rectangle.Using the Rectangle Tool (M), draw a rectangle inside your artboard and fit it to all four edges.Exit the color selector and click the OK button (if the color doesn’t show up immediately, try zooming in or out, this refreshes the view).From the Document Setup window, check “ Simulate Colored Paper” and choose a new background color for the artboard using the top color swatch selector (you will see two stacked colors swatched under the “Transparency and Overprint Options” - you want the top one).From the top menu select File > Document Setup.In this short tutorial, we’ll cover two different ways to change the background color of your artboard in Illustrator. However, there are many reasons to customize this to fit your individual project needs.
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In most cases, white will do just fine - which is why it’s the default canvas color in Adobe Illustrator. The background color of your artboard in Illustrator is similar to the first layer of paint that you would add to a physical canvas before painting your masterpiece.
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Want to change the background color of your artboard in Illustrator?
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