How to Add and Remove Watermarks in Microsoft Word

Watermarks are a useful tool for indicating the confidentiality, privacy, or draft status of a document. These subtle, faded images, typically text or logos, appear in the background without distracting from the main content. Microsoft Word offers a convenient way to add watermarks, whether you want a quick text option or a customized image.

Adding a Quick Text Watermark

1.

Open

your Word document.
2. Navigate to the

Design

tab.
3. Click the

Watermark

drop-down arrow within the

Page Background

section.
4. Choose from the pre-defined watermarks under categories like

Confidential

,

Disclaimers

, or

Urgent

. These options offer various font styles and watermark placement. Your chosen watermark will now appear on all pages of your document.

Creating a Custom Text Watermark

If the quick text options don’t suit your needs, you can design a custom text watermark with your desired text, font, color, and placement.

1. Go to the

Design

tab, click the

Watermark

drop-down arrow, and select

Custom Watermark

.
2. Check the

Text watermark

option.
3.

Customize

your watermark using the following options:

*

Language

: Select the default system language from the drop-down menu.
*

Text

: Choose an option from the list or enter your own custom text.
*

Font

: Select a font style from the available choices.
*

Size

: Choose

Auto

to adjust the text size automatically or select a specific font size.
*

Color

: The default color is gray, but you can pick a different color from the drop-down menu. You can also check the box to make the font

Semitransparent

.
*

Layout

: Choose

Diagonal

or

Horizontal

to determine the watermark’s placement on the page.

4. Once you’re satisfied with your choices, click

Apply

or

OK

to apply the watermark to your document and

Close

to close the window.

Using a Custom Image Watermark

To add a custom image watermark, you can select an image from your computer, a Bing image search, or OneDrive.

1. Go to the

Design

tab, click the

Watermark

drop-down arrow, and select

Custom Watermark

.
2. Check the

Picture watermark

option.
3. Click the

Select picture

button to browse and choose your image.
4. Use the

Scale

drop-down box to adjust the image size by selecting

Auto

or a specific percentage.
5. To make the image fade, check the box for

Washout

.
6. When you’re finished, click

Apply

or

OK

to apply the watermark to the document and

Close

to close the window.

Removing a Watermark

If you decide to remove a watermark from your document, follow these simple steps:

1. Go to the

Design

tab.
2. Click the

Watermark

drop-down arrow.
3. Select

Remove Watermark

.

By adding watermarks to your Word documents, you can subtly convey important information like urgency, confidentiality, or draft status without detracting from the main content. Remember, a watermark is a simple yet powerful tool for document management.