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from:	Mikhail Yakimchuk (Lionbridge)

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date:	December 13, 2011

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Creating Watermarks in Microsoft Word

[Note: Some steps may vary in Word 97. For additional help, search for “watermark” in the product help or on the Microsoft support site at http://support.microsoft.com.]

A watermark is any text or graphic image (such as the “Draft” in the background of this document) that is printed to overlap existing text in a document. A logo printed lightly behind a letter or the word "Confidential" printed lightly on a contract are other examples of watermarks.

The rotated “Draft” watermark on this page was created using the Word Art feature. You can insert pictures (such as a logo) from a file or using Clip Art. All three features can be found by clicking on Picture in the Insert menu.

To view a watermark as it will appear on the printed page, click Print Layout on the View menu or click Print Preview on the File menu.

The watermark will print on every page of this document, just like headers and footers. To edit the watermark or insert a new one, you need to click Header and Footer on the View menu.

To format a WordArt watermark (like this “Draft” example):

Use the WordArt… command on the Format menu to choose your desired settings for your watermark. There are multiple tabs in that dialog. Use the “Colors and Lines” tab to set the color and transparency. (This “draft” sample uses light gray and 50% transparency.) Use the “Size” tab to set the watermark size and rotation. (Or, you can resize and rotate using your mouse and the “Free Rotate” button on the WordArt toolbar.) Use the “Layout” tab to set the watermark to appear behind your text and to set the page layout (e.g. this “draft” sample is set to be centered both horizontally and vertically between the margins).

To edit the text of the WordArt, such as changing it from “Draft” to “Confidential”, double-click the WordArt or right-click and choose Edit Text….

To format a Picture watermark (such as a logo):

Use the Picture… command on the Format menu to choose your desired settings for your watermark. There are multiple tabs in that dialog. Use the “Size” tab to set the watermark size. (Or, you can resize using your mouse.) Use the “Layout” tab to set the watermark to appear behind your text, and any page layout (e.g. centered horizontally and vertically). Use the “Picture” tab to set the color to “Watermark” or “Washout,” or to adjust contrast and brightness.

If you only want the watermark on the first page, click Page Setup… on the File menu. In the “Layout” tab, check the “Different first page” box.