diff --git a/examples/test_bckg_color.rs b/examples/test_bckg_color.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3814e92
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/test_bckg_color.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+// Display a reconciled tree form recPhyloXML format
+
+use light_phylogeny::{ArenaTree,Options,Config,read_recphyloxml_multi,recphyloxml_processing,phyloxml_processing};
+// use std::env;
+
+fn main() {
+
+
+   // ============================================================================================
+    let transfers = vec![];
+    let mut options: Options = Options::new();
+    let config: Config = Config::new();
+    let mut sp_tree: ArenaTree<String> = ArenaTree::default();
+    let mut gene_trees:std::vec::Vec<ArenaTree<String>> = Vec::new();
+    let mut global_roots: std::vec::Vec<usize> = Vec::new();
+ 
+
+    options.node_colors.push("03_duplication".to_string());   
+    options.node_colors.push("b4_duplication".to_string());
+    
+    read_recphyloxml_multi("examples/example_dupli.recphylo".to_string(),
+        &mut sp_tree, &mut gene_trees, &mut global_roots);
+    recphyloxml_processing(&mut sp_tree, &mut gene_trees, &mut options, &config, true,
+         &transfers, "test_bckg_default.svg".to_string());
+    println!("Please open output file 'test_bckg_1.svg' with your browser");        
+
+    // ============================================================================================
+    let transfers = vec![];
+    let mut options: Options = Options::new();
+    let config: Config = Config::new();
+    let mut sp_tree: ArenaTree<String> = ArenaTree::default();
+    let mut gene_trees:std::vec::Vec<ArenaTree<String>> = Vec::new();
+    let mut global_roots: std::vec::Vec<usize> = Vec::new();
+ 
+
+    options.node_colors.push("03_duplication".to_string());   
+    options.node_colors.push("b4_duplication".to_string());
+
+    options.bckg_color = "Black".to_string();
+
+    
+    read_recphyloxml_multi("examples/example_dupli.recphylo".to_string(),
+        &mut sp_tree, &mut gene_trees, &mut global_roots);
+    recphyloxml_processing(&mut sp_tree, &mut gene_trees, &mut options, &config, true,
+         &transfers, "test_bckg_black.svg".to_string());
+    println!("Please open output file 'test_bckg_black.svg' with your browser");      
+
+
+    // ============================================================================================
+    let transfers = vec![];
+    let mut options: Options = Options::new();
+    let config: Config = Config::new();
+    let mut sp_tree: ArenaTree<String> = ArenaTree::default();
+    let mut gene_trees:std::vec::Vec<ArenaTree<String>> = Vec::new();
+    let mut global_roots: std::vec::Vec<usize> = Vec::new();
+ 
+
+    options.node_colors.push("03_duplication".to_string());   
+    options.node_colors.push("b4_duplication".to_string());
+
+    options.bckg_color = "#E9C78C".to_string();
+
+    
+    read_recphyloxml_multi("examples/example_dupli.recphylo".to_string(),
+        &mut sp_tree, &mut gene_trees, &mut global_roots);
+    recphyloxml_processing(&mut sp_tree, &mut gene_trees, &mut options, &config, true,
+         &transfers, "test_bckg_sepia.svg".to_string());
+    println!("Please open output file 'test_bckg_sepia.svg' with your browser");   
+}
+
diff --git a/src/arena.rs b/src/arena.rs
index edcb583..db7baf7 100644
--- a/src/arena.rs
+++ b/src/arena.rs
@@ -442,7 +442,9 @@ pub struct Options{
     /// user-defined list of colors for genes
     pub gene_colors: Vec<String>,
     /// user-defined list of nodes for genes. Children of nodes will be colorised 
-    pub node_colors: Vec<String>
+    pub node_colors: Vec<String>,
+    /// svg background color
+    pub bckg_color: String
 }
 impl Options {
     pub fn new() -> Self {
@@ -481,6 +483,7 @@ impl Options {
             mid_dist:false,
             gene_colors: Vec::new(),
             node_colors: Vec::new(),
+            bckg_color: "White".to_string(),
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/drawing.rs b/src/drawing.rs
index 8e5d551..c68a9c5 100644
--- a/src/drawing.rs
+++ b/src/drawing.rs
@@ -59,7 +59,8 @@ pub fn draw_tree (
                     y_viewbox,
                     height_svg + 2.0 *BLOCK,
                     width_svg + 2.0 *BLOCK,
-                )),
+                ))
+                .set("style","background-color:".to_owned() + &options.bckg_color),
         false => Document::new()
                 .set("width", width_svg)
                 .set("height", height_svg)
@@ -68,7 +69,8 @@ pub fn draw_tree (
                     y_viewbox,
                     width_svg + 2.0 *BLOCK,
                     height_svg + 2.0 *BLOCK,
-                )),
+                ))
+                .set("style","background-color:".to_owned() + &options.bckg_color),
     };
     let style = Style::new(".gene { font-size: ".to_owned()
         + &config.gene_police_size.to_string() + "px; fill:"
@@ -350,7 +352,8 @@ pub fn draw_sptree_gntrees (
                     height_svg * 1.1 + 2.0 * BLOCK,
                     width_svg + 2.0 * BLOCK,
                     )
-                ),
+                )
+                .set("style","background-color:".to_owned() + &options.bckg_color),
         false => Document::new()
                 .set("width",width_svg)
                 .set("height",height_svg)
@@ -360,8 +363,10 @@ pub fn draw_sptree_gntrees (
                     width_svg + 0.5 *BLOCK,
                     height_svg *1.1 + 0.5 *BLOCK,
                     )
-                ),
+                )
+               .set("style","background-color:".to_owned() + &options.bckg_color),
     };
+
     // Initialse la chaine de carctere dediee aux styles des fonts : font pour l'espece
     let mut recphylostyle:String = ".species { font: italic ".to_owned() + "; font-size: "
         + &config.species_police_size.to_string() + "px; fill: "
@@ -926,6 +931,10 @@ pub fn draw_sptree_gntrees (
         let add_style_str :&str = &added_style;
         recphylostyle.push_str(add_style_str);
     }
+
+
+
+
     // Ajout le style
     let style = Style::new(recphylostyle);
     document.append(style);