The "Draft" watermark appears behind your text and you remove it through the Design tab

The word "Draft" that appears faded behind your document text is a watermark — a background image Word adds to mark a document as incomplete or under review. You remove it by going to the Design tab (or Layout tab in older versions), selecting Watermark, and choosing Remove Watermark. The entire process takes about 10 seconds.

This watermark is purely visual — it does not affect the actual content of your document, does not print on every page by default in all versions, and does not prevent you from saving or sharing the file. It is straightforward a visual indicator that someone marked the document as a draft.

Key Takeaways

  • The Draft watermark lives in the Design or Layout tab under the Watermark button, not in font or page setup options.
  • Removing the watermark takes one click after you locate the Watermark menu — there is no dialog box or confirmation step.
  • The watermark is a background element that does not affect printing, sharing, or file size.
  • If you cannot find the Design tab, you are likely using an older version of Word where the feature is under Layout instead.

Where to find the Watermark button in Word

Open your document and look at the ribbon at the top of the screen. Click the Design tab. In newer versions of Word (2016 and later on Windows, and recent versions on Mac), the Watermark button sits in the middle section of the ribbon, usually near buttons for page color and page borders.

If you do not see a Design tab, you are using an older version. Look for the Layout tab instead — the Watermark button is in the same location within that tab. The steps are identical regardless of which tab name your version uses.

How to remove the Draft watermark in three steps

First, click the Watermark button in the Design or Layout tab. A dropdown menu appears showing preset watermarks, including one labeled "Draft" (which will be checked or highlighted if your document currently has it), and at the bottom of that menu, an option that says Remove Watermark.

Second, click Remove Watermark. The Draft text disappears from behind your document when ready. There is no save step required — Word removes it from the current document right away, though you should save your file afterward to keep the change.

Third, save your document using Ctrl+S (Windows) or Command+S (Mac), or go to File and click Save. The watermark removal is now permanent in that file.

What happens if you cannot find the Watermark button

If the Design or Layout tab exists but you do not see a Watermark button, your version of Word may be very old or configured differently. Try right-clicking in the header area at the top of the page — some older versions let you edit the watermark from there by selecting Edit Header and then looking for a watermark object to delete.

If that does not work, try the Insert tab instead. Some versions of Word place watermark controls under Insert rather than Design. Look for a button labeled Watermark or Header & Footer and follow the same removal steps.

Why Word adds a Draft watermark in the first place

Word does not add the Draft watermark automatically to every new document. Someone — either you, a coworker, or the person who created the template — deliberately added it using the Watermark button. This is typically done to signal that a document is still being reviewed or is not final.

If you receive a document with Draft already on it, removing it does not change who created it or when — it only changes what the document looks like on screen and in print. The document history and metadata remain the same.

Watermarks and printing

The Draft watermark will print on your pages by default if you send the document to a printer. If you want to remove the watermark before printing but keep it in the digital file, remove it, print, and then undo the removal by pressing Ctrl+Z (Windows) or Command+Z (Mac) when ready after printing.

Alternatively, you can remove the watermark permanently and then add a different one later if needed — the Watermark menu in the Design tab lets you choose from several preset options or create a custom one with your own text.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does removing the Draft watermark change the document's creation date or history?

No. Removing the watermark only changes the visual appearance of the document. The creation date, author information, and edit history remain exactly the same. If you need to check when the document was created or last edited, that information is still there in the document properties.

Can I remove the watermark from multiple documents at once?

No, you must remove the watermark from each document individually. Word does not have a batch or bulk watermark removal feature. If you have many documents, you will need to open each one and repeat the three-step process.

What if the Draft watermark comes back after I remove it?

This usually means you did not save the document after removing it, or you are opening an older version of the file. Make sure you press Ctrl+S or Command+S when ready after removing the watermark. If it still reappears, check that you are opening the correct file and not an earlier saved version.

Can I replace the Draft watermark with a different one?

Yes. Instead of clicking Remove Watermark, click any other preset watermark option in the dropdown menu, or click Custom Watermark to create one with your own text. The new watermark replaces the Draft one when ready.