Word 2002: watermark only selected pages

[Robin]

I'm trying to put a watermark only on a few pages, not an
an entire document. I've found a way, but surely there's
a simpler method!

If I add a watermark to a document, it appears
throughout. I tried breaking the document into sections
(with unique headers) -- still not able to do
discretionary page/section watermarking.

After reading the Word 2002 help text on how to
troubleshoot the issue "Watermarks don't appear on every
page of my printed document", I've come up with a crude
way to add watermarks to only the pages I want by
splitting a non-watermarked version of the document with
section breaks and pasting in watermarked pages of text
where I want them. Basically, I'm deliberately creating
the "trouble" the aforementioned troubleshoot is intended
to correct.

Does anyone know a better way? Thanks in advance for the
advice.

 

[Jay Freedman]

Hi, Robin,

If you're anchoring the watermark in the page header (which is what Word's
Format > Background > Watermark does), there are only two ways to have the
watermark on some pages and not others.

One way is to create separate sections as you've done, because headers are a
property of sections. (Really, the method you mentioned in your second
paragraph does work -- you shouldn't have to paste in whole pages.)

The other way is to create one or more IF fields in the header of a
single-section document. This involves using "nested" fields -- one field
inside another -- by using the Ctrl+F9 keystroke to make field braces. For
example, suppose you want a watermark only on the first two pages of a
document, no matter how long it gets. Here are the steps:

1. Use the Format > Background > Watermark procedure to make the watermark
with the words/picture/colors etc. you want.
2. Double-click in the header area to put the cursor there.
3. Click once on the watermark to select it, and cut it to the clipboard.
4. Click once in the header area and press Ctrl+F9 to insert a pair of field
braces.
5. Between the braces, type
IF < 3 " "
6. Put the cursor between the IF and the < sign, and press Ctrl+F9 again.
Between the two new braces, type the word PAGE. The code now looks like
{ IF { PAGE } < 3 " " }
There must be a space on each side of the < sign.
7. Put the cursor between the pair of quote marks, and press Enter. While
the cursor is on the second line, just to the left of the second quote mark,
paste the watermark from the clipboard.
8. Press F9 to update the field, and close the header area.

= operators. You can put more than one IF field in the same header to get

the effect of an "or" instruction, but offhand I don't know any way to get
an "and" instruction. You can do comparisons to different fields instead of
specific page numbers -- for example, IF { PAGE } = { NUMPAGES } will put
the watermark only on the last page of the document.

One restriction of this method is that wherever the watermark does show, it
will always be the same one -- in order to use two or more different
watermarks, you must use the multiple-section approach.

Another point: The watermark doesn't have to be anchored in the header. If
you want it only on a few specific pages, cut the watermark from the header,
move the cursor to a paragraph of text on the page, and paste it there. You
may have to use the tools on the Picture toolbar to adjust it to Behind
Text, no text wrapping, and properly positioned on the page.

 

[Robin]

Thanks! I went back to the multiple section layout and,
as you advised, found that I was able to select and
delete watermarks section by section. The difference
must be that, previously, I was trying to use the drop-
down "Format/Background/Watermark/None" menu (while in
header mode) rather than cursor-selecting and deleting
the actual watermark graphic (while in header mode).

I also appreciate your explanation on use of field codes
and cut/paste to manipulate the watermark. Although I
didn't use that solution for my current layout issues,
I'm certainly going to save the instructions for future
reference.

Thanks again for your help!

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Another thing Jay didn't mention is that you can have up to three headers
for each section (First Page, Odd Page, Even Page), which might help with
your selective watermarks.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
Word MVP FAQ site: http://www.mvps.org/word
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