Some people find certain text and background colour combinations difficult to read, while others prefer to always have a specific colour such as white text on a black background. In either case it is easy to set your own colours.

This section shows you how to choose your preferred text and background colours for the web pages you visit. Please select one of the following:

• Changing colours in Firefox 1.5 / 2
• Changing colours in Internet Explorer 7
• Changing colours in Internet Explorer 5 / 6

Changing colours in Firefox 1.5 / 2

1. Click the ' Tools ' menu or press ' Alt' + 'T '.
2. Click ' Options ' or press ' O ' to display the ' Options ' dialog box
3. Click the ' Content ' tab or use the arrow keys until it is highlighted (in blue).
4. Click on ' Colours ' or press ' Alt ' + 'C' to open the ' Colours ' dialog box.
5. To use your Windows colour scheme settings in Firefox click on the ' Use system colors ' checkbox, or press ' Alt' + 'S' to select it.
6. Next click on 'Allow pages select their own colours, instead of my selections above ' or press 'Alt' + 'A' to deselect it.
7. Click ' OK ' or press ' Enter ' to return to the options dialog box.
8. Click the ' OK ' button, or press ' Tab ' until the ' OK ' button is selected and press ' Enter ' , to return to Firefox.

9. Alternatively to set text and background colours just for Firefox:

1. Make sure the ' Use system colors ' checkbox is unchecked by clicking on it if selected or press ' Alt' + 'S' to deselect it if it is selected
2. For your text colour, click the colour swatch next to the ' Text': heading and click on the colour you want to use, or press ' Alt' + 'T ' to jump to the text colour palette and use the cursor keys to browse the list of colours and then press ' Enter ' to chose the highlighted colour - see Fig 3 below.
3. For your background colour, click the colour swatch next to the ' Background: ' heading and click on the colour you want to use, or press ' Alt ' + ' B ' to jump to the background colour palette and use the cursor keys to browse the list of colours and then press ' Enter ' to choose the highlighted colour.
4. Next click on 'Allow pages select their own colours, instead of my selections above ' or press 'Alt ' + 'A' to deselect it.
5. Click ' OK ' or press ' Enter ' to return to the options dialog box.
6. Click the ' OK ' button, or press ' Tab ' until the ' OK ' button is selected and press ' Enter ' , to return to Firefox.
7. Click on the ' Reload current page ' button on the Navigation toolbar or press ' Ctrl ' + ' R ' to reload the page with your colour settings.

Note: If this does not work it could be because your computer settings cannot be changed due to local IT policies - contact your local IT support for further help.

Changing colours in Internet Explorer 7

2. Open the ' Tools ' menu with the mouse or by pressing ' Alt'+'T ' .
4. Select the ' Internet Options ' option with the mouse or by pressing ' O '.
5. Select the ' Accessibility ' button with the mouse orby pressing ' Alt'+'E '.
6. Check the ' Ignore colours specified on web page ' checkbox with the mouse or by pressing ' Alt '+ ' C '.
7. Click the ' OK ' button with the mouse or press ' Enter ' to return to ' Internet Options '.
   
   At this point it might appear than little has happened, but what has changed is the website is now using the colour scheme you have on your computer. If you are happy with the colours you do not need to take any further steps, just click ' OK ' or press ' Enter ' to return to the browser. If however you still need to change the text or background colours on the web page take the following steps:
   
8. With the ' Internet Options ' box still open click on the ' Colors ' button or press ' Alt' + ' O '.
9. The default setting is to have the ' Use Windows colors ' option selected, to use your own colours click the box to remove the tick with the mouse or press ' Alt' + 'W '.
10. Select either the ' Text ' button with the mouse or by pressing ' Alt ' + 'T ' , or the ' Background ' button with the mouse, or by pressing ' Alt ' + ' B '.
11. Select the colour of your choice with the mouse orby using the arrow keys to highlight it and then pressing ' Spacebar ' to select.
12. Click the ' OK ' button with the mouse or press ' Enter '.
13. Repeat the process of selecting a colour for visited ' Alt ' + ' I ' and unvisited ' Alt ' + ' N ' links if needed.
14. When you have changed all the colours you want click ' OK ' or press ' Enter ' to return to the ' Internet Options ' box
15. Click the ' OK ' button with the mouse or press 'Tab' until it is selected and press ' Enter ' once which will return you to Internet Explorer.

Note: If this does not work it could be because your computer settings cannot be changed due to local IT policies - contact your local IT support for further help.

Changing colours in Internet Explorer 5 / 6

1. Open the ' Tools ' menu with the mouse or by pressing ' Alt'+'T ' .
2. Select the ' Internet Options ' option with the mouse or by pressing ' O '.
3. Select the ' Accessibility ' button with the mouse orby pressing ' Alt'+'E '.
4. Check the ' Ignore colours specified on web page ' checkbox with the mouse or by pressing ' Alt'+'C '.
5. Click the ' OK ' button with the mouse once or by pressing ' Enter ' once which will return you to the ' Internet Options ' box.
   
   At this point it might appear than little has happened, but what has changed is the website is now using the colour scheme you have on your computer. If you are happy with the colours you do not need to take any further steps, just click ' OK ' or press ' Enter ' to return to the browser. If however you still need to change the text or background colours on the web page take the following steps:
   

6. With the ' Internet Options ' box still open click on the ' Colors ' button or press ' Alt' + 'O '.

7. The default setting is to have the ' Use Windows colors ' option selected, to use your own colours click the box to remove the tick with the mouse or press ' Alt' + 'W '.

8. Select either the ' Text ' button with the mouse (the ' Use Windows colors ' option must not be selected for this to work), or by pressing ' Alt' + 'T ' , or the ' Background ' button with the mouse, or by pressing ' Alt' + 'B ' .

9. Select the colour of your choice with the mouse orby using the arrow keys.

10. Select the ' OK ' button twice with the mouse or by pressing ' Enter ' twice.

11. Now press ' OK ' or press ' Enter ' to return to Internet Explorer.

Note: If this does not work it could be because your computer settings cannot be changed due to local IT policies - contact your local IT support for further help.