i imagine you've already checked out the tabcontrol.backcolor property?
Main Topics
Browse All TopicsHi,
I need to change the backcolor of a TabControl (not the individual TabPages). How should I do this? Any code/links appreciated!
Edit: More specifically, I just want to change the colour behind the TabPage Tabs, so it doesn't look awkward after Ive changed the color of the TabPages themselves.
This Question has been solved and asker verified All Experts Exchange premium technology solutions are available to subscription members.
Experts Exchange has been collecting answers to technology questions since 1996…3 million and counting! If you have a question, chances are we already have your answer.
If you can't find the exact answer you're looking for, ask our exclusive community of 50,000 experts. You’ll get a personalized answer from a trusted professional.
Thousands of free tech tips, tricks, how-to’s and tutorials are available in our peer reviewed articles section. See for yourself how smart our experts are, no login required.
Access the answers to your technology questions today.
30-day free trial. Register in 60 seconds.
Members of the expert community talk about why the experience at Experts Exchange is different than what you will find anywhere else.

Try it out and discover for yourself.
30-day free trial. Register in 60 seconds.
Join the community of experts here and help other tech pros by answering question in your area of expertise. You can earn FREE access to all Experts Exchange's premium features and resources.
You should look at this link. For whatever reason, there is not a built in way to change the TabControl color. You may have to get a third-party class if possible. The only solution is the one explained in this link, which is a slightly complicated process of overriding the OnPaint method.
http://www.dotnet247.com/2
Business Accounts
Answer for Membership
by: LacutahPosted on 2004-11-19 at 15:19:43ID: 12630962
1. On the TabControl object, set the property "DrawMode" to "OwnerDrawFixed" sender As Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.DrawI temEventAr gs) Handles TabControl1.DrawItem rushes.Bla ck, e.Bounds)
ex).Text tr, TabControl1.Font, Brushes.White, e.Bounds.X + 3, e.Bounds.Y + 3)
2. Handle the TabControl's "DrawItem" event, here's an example that draws a black background (remember, you'll have to also draw the text!)
Private Sub TabControl1_DrawItem(ByVal
'This draws the background.
e.Graphics.FillRectangle(B
'Get the correct text to draw from the text property of the page that you're drawing for
Dim txtStr As String = TabControl1.TabPages(e.Ind
'Draw the string, in this case, I made the text White, and the +3 merely offsets the text from the upper left corner of the tab.
e.Graphics.DrawString(txtS
End Sub