Pages search highlight problem

As a writer, I use the search window function a lot. It is an amazing tool for editing. Unfortunately I cannot find the preference thingie that would allow me to change the highlight function. When I choose a word for the list, each occurrence is highlighted with a very annoying light gray colored highlight.

Using a laptop is even worse to find.

I keep thinking there should be a place within preferences that I could change the color of the search highlight function, but I can't find it.

Looking forward to seeing what anyone here can find.

Thanks! Trazanacho

Welcome to the Mac Forums.

Perhaps I'm not understanding what highlighting you're referring to, however, you can change the highlight color within OS X by opening System Preferences, General, and choose which highlight color you wish to use from the drop down box. I personally use red which is easy to see.

I've gone there, trying to change this many times, but to no avail. Do you use PAGES? If so, you can find what is vexing me fairly simply.

Open a new document in PAGES, then paste in any paragraph or text [you could even copy this to paste in].

Next, using the menu bar at the top, choose VIEW.

Walk down and choose SEARCH - should be the 2nd choice down.

You will note that an extra 'window' opens out to the left which is attached to your document window, which is presented in a 'list' style.

Click into the search box at the top of the list for a word that you know is appearing at least twice in the text you've pasted into the document. If you've chosen this text, type in the word - the - and you will see the list fill up with every occurrence of the word 'the' in the document, with a few words of text surrounding it.

Then, select one of the listed instances. You will see the word 'the' you selected is now highlighted.

This is where my problem is. The highlight is a VERY light gray and EXTREMELY difficult to see especially on my laptop. This is the highlighting that I wish to change to a color that is easily seen - but I can't find anywhere to change it.

I thought at first that you might only be referring to the Pages search and find which does in fact highlight in a light gray. I no longer use Pages because of compatibility reasons, but that problem likewise exists with some other applications that have a search and find feature. Word 2011 also ignores the System Preferences highlight color choice. Unfortunately, I don't know of a way to change that in either Pages or Word.

On my copy of Pages (latest version), following exactly the exercise the OP suggests, I get a yellow POP when then turns into a very EASILY distinguishable grey highlight.

So the first thing I'd suggest to the OP is that his laptop badly needs to have its contrast adjusted.

But he's right, there's no way I know of to change the search highlight colour he describes.

I have an old POWERBOOK G4 and can only run PAGES '08 [3.0.1]. I know the yellow pop you're talking about. That would help, but I still wind up back at the same place - can barely see the highlight.

Thanks for the tip on the contrast - hadn't thought about that. In the PREFERENCES section on the monitor option I found the color section - and in the CALIBRATOR thingie I walked through the steps and found a setting that at least turned the very light gray to a more noticeable dark gray. It makes everything look weird, but since I use the laptop exclusively for writing my books, it's not a problem.

At least I can FIND the darn words now! Thanks!

Glad to help! As an author myself, I wish you good fortune with your writing and hope you can afford one of the newer Macs* in the near future -- significant improvements in backlighting technology make this far less of a problem than what you're experiencing.

*If you mainly use the laptop for writing, you may also want to consider getting an iPad and a Bluetooth keyboard ... it's a wonderfully portable setup that works pretty darn well for writers!