Word 2010 and watermarks.... what gives?

[Photorer]

1. I want to insert a custom watermark on only one section of a document. I find that I can insert a standard one (DRAFT etc) but when I insert a custom one, then it appears on all the pages of the document. How do I get around this?

2. When a watermark is inserted, it looks perfect on the screen. When I print it out, every second letter is missing.......... so ALTERNATIVE looks like L E N T V - how can I fix this? (This also applies to standard ones, and is the same if I print to a PDF printer or any other printer, so it's not printer drivers...)

Thanks in advance!

[Gary Frieder]

1. You can do it as follows (this example assumes you want the watermark to appear in the first section only):

• Insert the custom watermark. As you noted, it will appear in all sections, by default.
• Go to the Header of each subsequent section of the document, and turn off 'Link to Previous'.
• Still in the Header, click on Home tab > Editing group > Select > Select objects.
• In each section, hover your cursor over the watermark until it changes to a four-sided pointer, click to select the graphic, and then delete it.

Do this in every section you want to remove the watermark from. The watermark in section 1 will remain untouched.

Sorry but don't have a clue as to the second problem!

Gary

[Photorer]

Hi Gary

The water mark is to go into section 8 of 14 sections in the document. I have done the unlink header from previous for section 8 and for section 9 (leaving the watermark insertion only for Section 8). If I insert one of the standard watermarks from the menu (Draft, etc) then it is inserted only in section 8. If I insert a custom watermark (where you type in your own text - ALTERNATIVE), then I get the watermark throughout the document! I have no idea why!!!

I admit - I have not tried going into each of the other sections - 1-7 and 9-14 to delete the watermark to see if it does the trick - I will give it a try, and let you know.

Thanks for taking the time - and if you find out why I lose 50% of the letters I would really appreciate that as well!

[EricFletcher]

It may be easier to manage if you use headers or footers to get the effect of a watermark.

In your section 8, do as Gary notes to disconnect the link to the previous section (for you, section 7). Then create a text box or table or insert a graphic image within the header (or footer). Use the format object dialog to set the object behind the text and scale & move it to suit. It is possible to scale an image to extend beyond the page area to get a full bleed effect if you use the dialog box to set the origin and the dimensions. An advantage of this approach is that you can have a 1st page or odd or even version as well as an "all pages" version by using the header/footer settings in the page layout dialog.

Be sure to turn off the Link to Previous option in the header/footer for your section 15.

I have encountered the missing characters issue with watermarks as well, but did not pursue it further when it went away with this header/footer method.

[dogberry]

Count me in as well: I too have had the missing letter(s) problem. Looks like a bug to me.

So far as having unwanted repetitions is concerned, I haven't tried it but you might just try putting a page break before the first page on which you want the custom watermark, and another page break after the last page on which you want it.

[jec1]

Hi, the text expanding is a bug of some sort I get that on the style TITLE it just expands the text in Word 2010. H E A D I N G L O O K S something like that. Didn't try and print it.

The watermark is working as it should I guess - You stamp DRAFT and that is the only watermark you get from that section forward.

The solution for different headers is to create your watermarks DRAFT ASAP etc and save each one as a Custom QuickPart in Category Watermarks (or whatever takes your fancy). You can then go to each section (which is unlinked to previous) and insert your Building Block 'DRAFT' next section you fancy 'DRAFT 2' and so on - seems to work.

Janine