Microsoft Word is the undisputed champion of word processing. But all that text on a blank page can feel a little boring. A background image can change that. It can make any project more eye-catching. It can also personalize documents, like CVs or greeting cards. Here’s how to add a background image in Word.
How to Add Background Image in Word
Microsoft recommends working with background images – or watermarks – on a laptop or desktop computer. Here’s how to do so on a Windows device.
Step 1: Go to the “Design” tab at the top of your screen.
Step 2: Choose “Watermark” in the “Page Background” group.
Step 3: Select “Custom Watermark” at the bottom of the “Watermark” menu. If you just want a traditional background watermark, you can also choose one of the pre-made options, like “Confidential” or “Draft.”
Step 4: In the “Printed Watermark” pop-up window, check the box next to “Picture watermark.”
Step 5: Click on the “Select Picture” button to upload your background photo.
Step 6: Locate the picture on your Windows device and select “Insert.”
Step 7: If you want your picture to fade into the background, check the “Washout” box.
The background picture will all but disappear.
If, however, you want the background picture to be more visible, you should uncheck the “Washout” box. The background image still won’t be in full color, but it will be much more visible.
Once you complete these steps, a background image will appear on every page of your Word document. By default, the background image will be centered. If this position doesn’t work for you, you can change it.
Step 1: Double-click near the top of your Word page. This will open the header.
Step 2: Hover over the background image until you see a four-headed arrow.
Step 3: Click on the image to select it.
Step 4: Hold and drag the image to position it to your liking.
How to Add Image as Background in Word on One Page Only
You might want to switch up the background photo on different Word pages. And you can absolutely do that. However, you’ll have to save each image to the “Watermark” gallery first. Here’s how.
Step 1: Double-click near the top of the Word page to open the header.
Step 2: Point your cursor at the background image until a four-headed arrow appears
Step 3: Click on the image to select it.
Step 4: Head back to the “Watermark” button in the “Design” tab.
Step 5: Press the “Save Selection to Watermark Gallery” button.
Step 6: Name your image and hit “OK.”
Your custom background image will appear under the “General” group in the “Watermark” gallery.
Now, you can add your background image to one Word page only.
Step 1: Go to the page where you want the background image to be.
Step 2: Select where you want the image to be on the page.
Step 3: Click on the “Watermark” button in the “Design” tab.
Step 4: Find your custom image and right-click on it.
Step 5: Select “Insert at Current Document Position.”
The background image will appear as a text box that you can move around.
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