Add a watermark that appears on every page

In Microsoft Publisher 2010, you can simulate the translucence of a traditional watermark by adding text or images to the background of a page.

What do you want to do?

Add a text watermark

Add a graphic watermark

Add a WordArt watermark

Add a different watermark to a set of pages

Add a text watermark

Add words such as draft or sample to the pages in a publication by using this simple technique.

1. On the Page Design tab, click Master Pages, point to the name of the master page that you want to add the watermark to, and then click Edit Master Pages.

2. On the Insert tab, click Draw Text Box .

3. On the master page, click to create the text box.

4. Type the text that you want, and then select the text.

5. On the Text Box Tools tab, in the Font group, click the Font Color drop-down menu, and then click Fill Effects.

6. In the Fill Effects dialog box, click a tint of the color that is 30 percent or lighter.

   Note: You can change the color by clicking the arrow next to Base color and then choosing one of the color options.

   Tip: To simulate a traditional watermark, select Emboss or Engrave in the Effects group.

7. To return to a publication page, click Close Master Page on the Master Page tab.

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Add a graphic watermark

Images, sized from small to full-page, serve as effective backgrounds for text when the text color contrasts consistently with the image's colors. You can use a picture, clip art, or other image, such as a company logo. First, you add a frame to the page. Then you insert the image into the frame. Finally, you format the image.

Set up the frame

1. On the Page Design tab, click Master Pages, point to the name of the master page that you want to add the watermark to, and then click Edit Master Pages.

2. On the Insert tab, click Picture Placeholder.

3. Drag the Adjust handles of the empty picture frame until you have the size that you want.

   The dimension of the square that you create determines the longest side of the picture. The picture that you insert into the picture frame will reduce or enlarge so that its longer side fits the edge of the picture frame.

Add the image

To add the image, do one of the following:

Insert clip art

1. On the Insert tab, click Clip Art.

2. In the Clip Art task pane, type a search term into the Search for box, and then click Go.

   When you search for clip art and pictures online, you'll be directed to Bing. You're responsible for respecting copyright, and the license filter in Bing can help you choose which images to use.

3. Click one of the displayed pictures to insert it into your publication.
   

   Note:  The image is added to the picture placeholder using the Crop tool's Fill feature. For more information on cropping please see: Cropping pictures.

Insert a picture from a file on your computer

1. On the Insert tab, click Picture.

2. In the Insert Picture dialog box, locate the folder that contains the picture that you want to insert, and then click the picture to select it.

3. Do one of the following:

   • To embed the picture, click Insert.

   • To link the picture to the picture file on your hard disk, click the arrow next to Insert, and then click Link to File.
     

     Note:  The image is added to the picture placeholder using the Crop tool's Fill feature. For more information on cropping please see: Cropping pictures.

Format the image

To reduce the emphasis on the picture so that it doesn't distract from objects on publication pages, adjust the colors in the picture.

1. Right-click the picture, and then click Format Picture on the shortcut menu.

2. Click the Picture tab, and then do one of the following:

   • Washout    To fade all colors uniformly, under Image control in the Color list, click Washout.

   • Grayscale    To change the picture to grayscale, under Image control, in the Color list, click Grayscale.

   • Single color    To change the picture to shades of a single color, under Image control, click Recolor, and then in the Recolor Picture dialog box, click the arrow next to Color, and do one of the following:

     • To apply one of the colors in the current color scheme, click the color that you want.

     • To see more color choices, click More Colors, select the options that you want, and then click OK.

       Note: If your publication uses spot colors, More Colors is not available.

To return to a publication page, click Close Master Page on the Master Page tab.

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Add a WordArt watermark

The process for adding a WordArt watermark is similar to the process for adding text as a watermark to your publication.

1. On the Page Design tab, click Master Pages, point to the name of the master page that you want to add the watermark to, and then click Edit Master Pages.

2. On the Insert tab, click WordArt .

3. Select the WordArt style that you want, and then click OK.

4. In the WordArt Text dialog box, type and format the text that you want, and then click OK.

5. Right-click the WordArt and click Format WordArt , and then click the Colors and Lines tab.

6. Select the colors that you want, and then increase the transparency setting to at least 70 percent.

7. To return to a publication page, click Close Master View on the Edit Master Pages toolbar.

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Add a different watermark to a set of pages

When your publication uses only one master page and you add a watermark to that master page, the watermark appears on every page of your publication. To add a watermark that appears on selected pages only, place the text or picture on the publication pages instead of on the master page, and then send the picture or text box to the back.

Note:  If you want to create pages in your publication that have no watermark, select each of these pages and use a master page with no watermark, or simply set the master page to (None).

To add a different watermark to a set of pages, such as a chapter or a book signature, create different master pages, insert the appropriate watermark into each master page, and then apply each master page to the appropriate range of publication pages. You can also add a watermark across a two-page master page.

Tip: If a watermark is placed behind other objects on the page, the objects that are hiding it may be opaque. To make an opaque object transparent, click the object to select it (if the object is a table, select the entire table), and then press CTRL+T. If the object is opaque, it becomes transparent; if the object is already transparent, it becomes white.

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