Adding a Draft watermark in three steps
A Draft watermark is text that appears behind your document content, visible on screen and in print, to signal that the document is not final. Microsoft Word includes a built-in Draft watermark you can add in seconds without designing anything yourself.
Open your document in Word. Click the Design tab (or Layout in older versions). Select Watermark from the ribbon. Choose Draft from the dropdown menu. The watermark appears when ready across every page.
If you need to remove it later, return to Design > Watermark and select Remove Watermark.
Key Takeaways
- The Draft watermark is a built-in option in Word that requires no setup — you select it from the Design tab and it applies to all pages at once.
- The watermark appears behind text on screen and prints on every page, making it visible to anyone who opens or prints the document.
- You can remove the watermark at any time by returning to Design > Watermark > Remove Watermark.
- If the built-in Draft watermark does not match what you need, Word lets you create a custom watermark with your own text or image.
Where to find the Watermark button
The location of the Watermark button depends on which version of Word you are using. In Word 2016 and newer, click the Design tab at the top of the ribbon. In Word 2013 and earlier, the button is under the Page Layout tab. Once you find the tab, look for the word Watermark in the ribbon — it usually sits near other page formatting options like page color and borders.
If you cannot find it, use the search box at the top left of the ribbon (the box that says "Tell me what you want to do"). Type "watermark" and Word will show you the option and take you directly to it.
What the Draft watermark looks like
The Draft watermark displays the word "DRAFT" in large, light gray letters running diagonally across the page from the lower left to the upper right. The text is semi-transparent so it does not completely hide your document content, but it is visible enough that anyone reading or printing the page will see it when ready.
The watermark appears on every page of your document, including the first page. It shows the same way on screen as it does when printed, so what you see in your document is what will appear on paper.
Creating a custom watermark instead
If you want text other than "DRAFT" — for example, "CONFIDENTIAL" or "DO NOT DISTRIBUTE" — you can create a custom watermark. Go to Design > Watermark and select Custom Watermark at the bottom of the menu. Choose Text watermark, then type your own text in the box. You can adjust the font, size, and color before clicking OK.
Word also lets you use an image as a watermark instead of text. Select Picture watermark in the custom watermark dialog, then choose an image file from your computer. The image will scale to fit the page and appear behind your text.
Watermarks and document sharing
When you send a Word document with a watermark to someone else, the watermark travels with it. Anyone who opens the file will see the watermark on their screen and in their printout. The watermark is part of the document formatting, not a separate layer, so it cannot be easily removed by the person receiving it without going through the Design menu themselves.
If you are sharing a document for review and want reviewers to see that it is a draft, the watermark serves as a visual reminder. If you later decide the document is final, you can remove the watermark before sending the final version.
Watermarks in different document views
The Draft watermark appears in most Word views, but not in all of them. You will see it in Print Layout view (the default view most people use) and in Print Preview. You will not see it in Outline view or Draft view, though it will still print if you print the document.
If you switch to Print Layout view and do not see the watermark, check that you actually selected it from the menu — sometimes the selection does not register on the first click. Try clicking Design > Watermark > Draft again.
Watermarks and document protection
Adding a watermark does not protect your document or prevent others from editing it. The watermark is purely visual — it signals that a document is a draft, but it does not lock the document or restrict who can make changes. If you need to prevent editing, you will need to use Word's protection features separately, which are found under Review > Protect.
A watermark and document protection serve different purposes. Use a watermark when you want to signal the document status. Use protection when you want to control who can edit the document or which parts of it can be changed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the watermark print if I print the document?
Yes. The Draft watermark prints on every page exactly as it appears on your screen. If you do not want the watermark to print, remove it before printing by going to Design > Watermark > Remove Watermark.
Can I change the color or size of the Draft watermark?
The built-in Draft watermark has a fixed appearance and cannot be resized or recolored. If you need a different color or size, create a custom watermark instead by selecting Design > Watermark > Custom Watermark > Text watermark, then adjust the font, size, and color options.
Will the watermark stay if I save the document as a PDF?
Yes. When you save or export a Word document as a PDF, the watermark is included in the PDF file. The watermark will appear in the PDF the same way it appears in Word.
Can I add a watermark to only some pages, not all pages?
No. Word applies watermarks to the entire document at once. If you need a watermark on only certain pages, you would need to split the document into separate files or use a different tool that supports page-level watermarking.
What if the watermark does not appear after I select it?
Make sure you are in Print Layout view, which is where watermarks display. If you are in Draft or Outline view, switch back to Print Layout by clicking View > Print Layout. If the watermark still does not appear, try selecting it again from the menu — sometimes the first selection does not register.