What is a Watermark?

A Watermark is text or a picture placed behind the content in your document as a faded background. You can add a text watermark, such as Draft or Confidential or Do Not Copy to your document (these are already included in the Watermark Gallery), or you can create your own custom watermark, such as “Property of…”, etc., or insert a picture or company logo for your document.

Not only is this a great way to protect your intellectual property, it is also a good way to “brand” the document with your company logo or any desired text or graphic.

Add a Text Watermark from the Gallery

In the beginning, the steps are the same whether adding text or graphic:

• On the Design tab, in the Page Background group, choose Watermark

• The dialog box will display with built-in text options:

• Choose one of the built-in watermarks in the displayed gallery or add one of your own by clicking Custom Watermark… (see below for steps).

Word automatically applies the watermark to every page (except a designated cover page).

Add a Custom Text Watermark

1. Click the Design tab, Page Background group, Watermark.
2. Choose Custom Watermark.
3. Select Text watermark and the options will change to allow you to type your custom text, choose the font, size and color, and if you want it displayed diagonally or horizontally. (Tip: Leave the size on Auto as Word will adjust to appropriate size for page).
   
4. Semi-transparent should be auto selected but if not, check it.

Add a Picture Watermark

• Click the Design tab, Page Background group, Watermark.
• Choose Custom Watermark.
• Select Picture watermark, and then choose Select Picture.

• Select the picture that you want, and then choose Insert. (Note the options to search for an image online or use an existing image from your storage sources).

• The Washout box should be checked automatically but, if not, click it to lighten the picture so that it doesn’t interfere with your document content.
• You are back in the dialog box where you can choose Apply to see what it looks like on the page and make changes, if needed. Note the Scale box that is set to Auto. If you want to increase or decrease the size of your graphic, choose from the 0% to 500% options in the drop down list.
• When satisfied, click OK and Print Preview your document to see it WYSIWYG (Geek speak for: What you see is what you get).

NOTE: You can turn any picture, clip art, or a photo into a watermark that you can use to brand a document.

Remove a Watermark

This one is simple pie:

• Click on the Watermark icon (Design | Page Background).
• Click Remove Background.

Done…Don’t we wish all of life were this easy!

NOTE:  If you are in the Watermark dialog box, you can remove the watermark by clicking in No Watermark at the top.

Want to add a watermark to selected pages only or to a single page? This is a little more complex and we’ll cover that  here: https://gaylelarson.com/insert-a-watermark-in-word-part-2/

What watermarks have or will you use? Let me know in the Comments below. Thanks for reading!