Add a Watermark to a Word Document

You want a faint label like DRAFT or CONFIDENTIAL — or your company logo — sitting behind the text on every page.

Why: A watermark is a ghosted image or text layer that prints behind your content. Word adds it through the Design tab and repeats it on every page automatically, so you don’t paste it page by page.

Step 1: Add a preset watermark

1. Go to the Design tab.
2. In the Page Background group, click Watermark.
3. Pick a built-in option such as DRAFT, CONFIDENTIAL, or DO NOT COPY.

It appears immediately behind your text on every page.

Step 2: Or create a custom text watermark

1. Go to Design > Watermark > Custom Watermark.
2. Select Text watermark.
3. Type your text in the Text box (or choose from the list), then set the Font, Size, Color, and Layout (Diagonal or Horizontal).
4. Click OK.

Step 3: Or use a picture/logo watermark

1. Go to Design > Watermark > Custom Watermark.
2. Select Picture watermark, click Select Picture, and choose your image.
3. Leave Washout ticked so the image stays faint enough to read text over it, then click OK.

Step 4: Remove or change it

1. Go to Design > Watermark > Remove Watermark to clear it.
2. To change it, just open Watermark again and pick a different option or re-open Custom Watermark.

FAQ

I can’t see the watermark. Switch to View > Print Layout — watermarks don’t show in Draft or Web Layout view. They always appear when you print.

The watermark button is greyed out / missing. You’re likely in Word for the web, which can display existing watermarks but can’t add or change them. Use the desktop app.

I only want it on one page. Word’s standard watermark applies to all pages. For a single page you’d insert it manually into that page’s header — but for most needs the document-wide watermark above is what you want.

Sources: Microsoft Support — Insert a watermark