The quickest way to add a draft watermark

Open your document in Microsoft Word. Go to the Design tab (in Word 2016 and later) or Page Layout (in Word 2013 and earlier). Click Watermark in the ribbon. Select Draft from the dropdown menu. The word "DRAFT" will appear diagonally across every page in light gray text.

That's the entire process. Word applies the watermark to the whole document automatically — you don't need to do anything else. If you close the document and reopen it, the watermark stays.

The watermark prints by default. If you want to see how it will look on paper before you print, switch to Print Layout view (the default view in most cases). The watermark is visible there.

Key Takeaways

  • The Draft watermark appears in the Design or Page Layout tab, takes one click to explore, and shows on every page automatically.
  • The watermark prints with your document unless you change your print settings to exclude backgrounds.
  • You can customize the watermark text, size, angle, and color if the standard Draft option doesn't fit your needs.
  • Watermarks are stored in the document file itself, so anyone who opens the file will see them.

Where to find the watermark button in different Word versions

The location of the watermark tool varies slightly by Word version, but the process is the same.

In Word 2016, 2019, and Microsoft 365 (the subscription version), the Watermark button is on the Design tab. Click Design in the ribbon at the top, then look for Watermark on the left side of the ribbon.

In Word 2013, go to the Page Layout tab instead. The Watermark button is in the same position on the ribbon.

In Word 2010 and earlier, click Page Layout, then Watermark. The dropdown menu works the same way.

What the Draft watermark actually looks like

The standard Draft watermark displays the word "DRAFT" in large, light gray letters running diagonally from the lower left to the upper right of the page. It sits behind your text, so your words remain readable. The watermark appears on every page of your document.

The watermark does not interfere with editing or formatting. You can type, delete, and change text normally. The watermark stays in place regardless of what you do to the document content.

On screen, the watermark may look faint or hard to see depending on your monitor brightness and the background color of your document. It becomes much more visible when you print the document or export it as a PDF.

How to remove the watermark if you change your mind

Go back to the Design tab (or Page Layout in older versions). Click Watermark. At the top of the dropdown menu, select Remove Watermark. The Draft watermark disappears from all pages when ready.

If you've already saved the document with the watermark, you don't need to do anything special when you remove it. Just save the document again, and the version without the watermark is what gets stored.

Creating a custom watermark instead of using Draft

If you want different text than "DRAFT" — for example, "CONFIDENTIAL" or your company name — you can create a custom watermark. Open the Watermark dropdown menu and select Custom Watermark at the bottom of the list.

A dialog box opens. Choose Text watermark if you want words, then type whatever text you want in the box. You can change the font, size, color, and angle. The preview on the right side of the dialog shows you how it will look. Click OK when you're satisfied.

Custom watermarks work exactly like the Draft watermark — they appear on every page, print by default, and stay in the file when you save it.

Watermarks and privacy: what they do and don't protect

A watermark is a visual marker, not a security feature. It tells anyone who sees the document that you consider it a draft or sensitive, but it does not prevent copying, printing, or sharing. Someone can still take a screenshot, copy your text, or forward the file to others.

If you need actual protection — preventing people from editing, copying, or printing — you need password protection or encryption, not a watermark. Word's password protection is separate from watermarks and requires you to set a password in the File menu under Info and Protect Document.

Watermarks are useful for workflow clarity: they signal to readers that a document is still being revised, or that it contains sensitive information. But they rely on the reader respecting that signal. They are not a technical barrier.

Printing and PDF export with watermarks

When you print a document with a watermark, the watermark prints by default. If you want to print the document without the watermark, go to File > Print. Look for Options or Settings (depending on your printer). Find the checkbox for Print Background Colors and Images or similar wording. Uncheck it. The watermark will not print, but your text and other content will.

When you export a document as a PDF, the watermark is included in the PDF file by default. The watermark becomes part of the PDF image and cannot be removed from the PDF without editing the PDF file itself in a separate tool.

If you want to send someone a PDF without the watermark, remove the watermark from the Word document first, then export to PDF.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the watermark show up in the document outline or table of contents?

No. The watermark is a background element, not part of the document structure. It does not appear in outlines, tables of contents, or any text-based view of your document. It only appears visually on the page.

Can I put a watermark on only some pages, not the whole document?

Not with Word's built-in watermark tool. Watermarks explore to the entire document. If you need a watermark on specific pages only, you would need to split the document into sections and use a workaround with headers and footers, which is more complex. For most purposes, a full-document watermark is the simpler choice.

What happens to the watermark if someone opens my document in Google Docs or another editor?

Google Docs does not display Word watermarks. If someone opens your Word document in Google Docs, the watermark will not show. If they read it back to Word format, the watermark reappears. This is one reason watermarks should not be your only way of marking a document as sensitive.

Can I make the watermark darker or more visible?

Yes, through the custom watermark dialog. Select Custom Watermark from the Watermark dropdown. In the dialog, you can change the color from the default light gray to a darker shade, and you can increase the font size. A larger, darker watermark is more visible but also more intrusive to reading.

Does adding a watermark change the file size?

No. A watermark is stored as formatting information in the document, not as an image. It adds negligible data to the file size.