How to Insert and Modify Text Watermarks in Microsoft Word

Watermarks are semitransparent words, phrases, or images that identify ownership (e.g., Copyright Generic Brand, LLC), indicate confidentiality (e.g., Confidential, Do Not Copy), or show status (e.g., Urgent, Draft). Last week, we added watermarks to PDFs with Adobe Acrobat. Inserting watermarks in Microsoft Word is more complex than in Acrobat, so we are going to divide the topic into three separate tutorials.

In this first tutorial, we are going to insert, modify, and delete text watermarks in Word. In the second tutorial, we will insert and modify image watermarks in Word. In the third tutorial, we will insert text and image watermarks on specific pages in Word.

Quick Links:

How to Insert Text Watermarks
How to Modify Text Watermarks
How to Delete Text Watermarks

This tutorial is available as a YouTube video showing all the steps in real time.

Watch more than 150 other writing-related software tutorials on my YouTube channel.

The images below are from Word for Microsoft 365. These steps will also work in Word 2021, Word 2019, Word 2016, and Word 2013. However, your interface may look slightly different in those older versions of the software.

How to Insert Text Watermarks in Microsoft Word

The following steps show how to insert built-in and custom text watermarks on every page of your document.

Select the Design tab in the ribbon.

Design tab in Word 365 — Figure 1. Design tab

Select Watermark in the Page Background group.

Watermark button in Word 365 — Figure 2. Watermark button

Select a built-in watermark (i.e., Confidential, Do not copy, Sample, ASAP, or Urgent) or Custom Watermark from the drop-down menu.

Watermark menu in Word 365 — Figure 3. Watermark menu

If you chose Custom Watermark, select the Text watermark button in the Printed Watermark dialog box.

Text watermark button in the Printed Watermark dialog box in Word 365 — Figure 4. Text watermark button

Enter your custom text into the text box.

Custom text in the Printed Watermark dialog box — Figure 5. Custom watermark text

(Optional) Adjust the font, size, color, and diagonal or horizontal layout, as necessary.

Font, size, color, and layout options in the Printed Watermark dialog box — Figure 6. Font, size, color, and layout options

Ensure the Semitransparent is checked if you want your text and images to be visible through the watermark. (The transparency can be customized, as shown in steps 7 and 8 in the modification section below.)

Semitransparent option in the Printed Watermark dialog box in Word 365 — Figure 7. Semitransparent option

Select the OK button.

OK button in the Printed Watermark dialog box in Word 365 — Figure 8. Printed Watermark OK button

The Printed Watermark dialog box should close, and your text watermark should appear in your document.

How to Modify Text Watermarks in Microsoft Word

The following steps show how to modify the size, position, text, color, font style, and transparency of an existing text watermark.

Important Note: If you want to replace your watermark, repeat all the steps in the section above. Every time you add a watermark, it replaces the existing watermark.

Double-click the top of any page to open the Header & Footer tab. (In Word, watermarks are part of the header even though they typically appear in the middle of the page.)

Header & Footer tab and section in Word 365 — Figure 9. Header & Footer tab with header space

Hover your cursor over the watermark until your cursor becomes two crossed arrows. Then, select the watermark.

Double-arrow cursor (enlarged) over watermark in Word 365 — Figure 10. Double-arrow cursor (enlarged to show detail)

Small, gray adjustment handles (squares and circles) will appear when the watermark is selected.

Watermark adjustment handles in Word 365 — Figure 11. Adjustment handles

Resizing and Repositioning

Select, hold, and drag the adjustment handles to change the size of your watermark. (The top, center handle tilts the watermark to the left and right.)
To reposition your watermark, hover your cursor over the watermark until the cursor becomes two crossed arrows (see figure 10). Then, click, hold, and drag your watermark to a new position.

Text, Color, and Font Style

Right-click the watermark with the crossed-arrow cursor, and then select Edit Text from the shortcut menu.

Edit Text option in the watermark shortcut menu in Word 365 — Figure 12. Edit Text option

Edit the text, font style, font size, boldness, and italics in the Edit WordArt Text dialog box. Then, select the OK button.

Edit WordArt Text dialog box in Word 365 — Figure 13. Edit WordArt Text dialog box

Transparency

Right-click the watermark with the crossed-arrow cursor, and then select Format Autoshape/Picture from the shortcut menu.

Format AutoShape/Picture option in the watermark shortcut menu in Word 365 — Figure 14. Format AutoShape/Picture option

Adjust the transparency in the Format WordArt dialog box. (The higher the number, the greater the transparency.)

Transparency option in the Format WordArt dialog box in Word 365 — Figure 15. Transparency option

Pro Tip: Explore the rest of the Format WordArt dialog box, particularly the Fill Effect button, for additional customization options.

Select the OK button to close the Format WordArt dialog box.

OK button in the Format WordArt dialog box in Word 365 — Figure 16. Format WordArt OK button

Additional WordArt Options

(Optional) Explore the WordArt tab for additional options such as Shadow Effects and 3-D Effects. (Note that this tab only appears when a watermark or piece of WordArt is selected.)