Ask Owen

I’d like to add a “Draft” to the background of my Word document. I’ve seen it done, but I’m not sure where to start. How do I do this?

This word in the background is called a Watermark and is implemented different in Word 2003 and Word 2007. I’m not ure which you’re using, so I’ve included both methods.

For Word 2003, click on the Format menu, Background and then Printed Watermark. Select the option ‘Text watermark’ and choose DRAFT from the Text menu. This window can also be used to adjust the font, size and colour of the text. We recommend selecting the semi-transparent option to avoid obscuring the text too much.

Word 2007 is a little different because of the Ribbon. Make sure that you are in Print Layout mode first by clicking on the left-most icon next to the zoom slider. Click on the Page Layout tab in the Ribbon and then select Watermark in the Page Background section. Select a watermark from the dropdown menu. If none of the templates are suitable, click on the Custom watermark option in the Watermark menu. A window similar to the one in Word 2003 will appear where you can choose the text, font and colour of the watermark. It is also possible to select an image; a butterfly, personalized gifts or anything you heart desires..

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