How to highlight an entire paragraph?

Question

I'd like to highlight paragraphs such that the highlight color appears as one whole rectangle underlying the entire paragraph. I have looked around but nothing gives me the desired effect so far.

For example \fcolorbox{} from xcolor cannot highlight an entire paragraph; \hl{} from soul leaves out spacings between lines uncolored.

I am wondering how I can do this?

Answer 1

Here's a list of other possible solutions

1. A solution that admits page breaks using mdframed:

   \documentclass{article}
   \usepackage[framemethod=tikz]{mdframed}
   \usepackage{lipsum}
   
   \begin{document}
   
   \lipsum[4]
   \begin{mdframed}[hidealllines=true,backgroundcolor=blue!20]
   \lipsum[2]
   \end{mdframed}
   \lipsum[4]
   
   \end{document}
   

   

   The environments provided by the mdframed package are highly customizable so, for example, using the (inner)leftmargin, (inner)rightmargin options, you can produce this (the textwidth remains unaltered and the frame extends a little into the margins):

   \documentclass{article}
   \usepackage[framemethod=tikz]{mdframed}
   \usepackage{lipsum}
   
   \begin{document}
   
   \lipsum[4]
   \begin{mdframed}[hidealllines=true,backgroundcolor=blue!20,innerleftmargin=3pt,innerrightmargin=3pt,leftmargin=-3pt,rightmargin=-3pt]
   \lipsum[2]
   \end{mdframed}
   \lipsum[4]
   
   \end{document}
   

   

2. Here's now a solution using the framed package and its shaded environment; this solution also admits page breaks:

   \documentclass{article}
   \usepackage{xcolor}
   \usepackage{framed}
   \usepackage{lipsum}
   
   \colorlet{shadecolor}{blue!20}
   
   \begin{document}
   
   \lipsum[4]
   \begin{shaded}
   \lipsum[2]
   \end{shaded}
   \lipsum[4]
   
   \end{document}
   

   

3. Now a solution using the tcolorbox package; this solution doesn't admit page breaks inside tcolorbox:

   \documentclass{article}
   \usepackage{xcolor}
   \usepackage{tcolorbox}
   \usepackage{lipsum}
   
   \begin{document}
   
   \lipsum[4]
   \begin{tcolorbox}[notitle,boxrule=0pt,colback=blue!20,colframe=blue!20]
   \lipsum[2]
   \end{tcolorbox}
   \lipsum[4]
   
   \end{document}
   

   

4. A solution using the adjustbox package (no page breaks allowed):

   \documentclass{article}
   \usepackage{xcolor}
   \usepackage{adjustbox}
   \usepackage{lipsum}
   
   \begin{document}
   
   \lipsum[4]
   
   \noindent\adjustbox{bgcolor=blue!20,minipage=[t]{\linewidth}}{\lipsum[4]}
   
   \lipsum[4]
   
   \end{document}
   

   

5. And finally, one solution using the fancypar package (this solution won't accept page breaks either):

   \documentclass{article}
   \usepackage{fancypar}
   \usepackage{lipsum}
   
   \begin{document}
   
   \lipsum[4]
   \ZebraPar[colorone=blue!20,colortwo=blue!20]{\lipsum[4]}
   \lipsum[4]
   
   \end{document}
   

   

Answer 2

A combination of \colorbox and a \parbox works, as long as your paragraph doesn't need to be broken over pages. That won't work.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{xcolor}
\usepackage{lipsum}
\begin{document}
\noindent\colorbox{yellow}{%
    \parbox{\dimexpr\linewidth-2\fboxsep}% a box with line-breaks that's just wide enough
        {% your paragraph here:
        \lipsum[1]%
        }
    }
\end{document}

Answer 3

Is the todonotes package a possiblity? If so, Highlighting a Paragraph in LaTeX by Hinnerk Brügmann provides a solution. For some reason or the other the lipsum package didn't work well with it. The user provides the following code:

\documentclass[letterpaper]{article}
\usepackage{lipsum}
\usepackage[bordercolor=white,backgroundcolor=gray!30,linecolor=black,colorinlistoftodos]{todonotes}
\newcommand{\rework}[1]{%
\todo[color=yellow,inline]{Rework: {#1}}%
}
\begin{document}
\lipsum[2]
\rework{Nam dui ligula, fringilla a, euismod sodales, sollicitudin vel, wisi. Morbi
auctor lorem non justo. Nam lacus libero, pretium at, lobortis vitae, ultricies et,
tellus. Donec aliquet, tortor sed accumsan bibendum, erat ligula aliquet magna,
vitae ornare odio metus a mi. Morbi ac orci et nisl hendrerit mollis. Suspendisse
ut massa. Cras nec ante. Pellentesque a nulla. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et
magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Aliquam tincidunt urn}
\lipsum[2]
\end{document}