4 Ways to Insert a Background Image on One Page in Word

A background image can really make a page in your Word document pop. If you want to add an image to just one page, there are a few different methods you can try. In this article, we’ll talk you through the easiest ways to do it, from making a tiled background with the Shapes tool to using Word’s watermark feature on a single page.

Method 1
Method 1 of 4:

Inserting a Shape with an Image Fill

  1. Image titled Insert a Background Image on One Page in Word Step 1
    1
    Click the View tab. It’ll be easier to work with an image on a single page if you isolate that page in your document window. To get started, go to the View tab in the ribbon menu at the top of the window.
  2. Image titled Insert a Background Image on One Page in Word Step 2
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    Select One Page. Scroll to the page where you’d like to put the background image, then go up to the Zoom group in the View tab. Select One Page to fit the whole page to your document window.
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  3. Image titled Insert a Background Image on One Page in Word Step 3
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    Open the Insert tab. Navigate to the Insert tab in the ribbon menu at the top of the page. Click on the tab to open it.[1]
  4. Image titled Insert a Background Image on One Page in Word Step 4
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    Click Shapes. This will open a menu displaying all the possible shapes that you can insert into your document.[2]
  5. Image titled Insert a Background Image on One Page in Word Step 5
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    Select a rectangle. You can also select different shapes, but a rectangle is the best choice if you want to fill the entire background of the page with the image. Click the shape, then click on the page to insert it into the document.[3]
  6. Image titled Insert a Background Image on One Page in Word Step 6
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    Drag the edges of the rectangle to fit the page. Click in the middle of the rectangle to drag it into the middle of the page, then click on one of the “handles” on an edge or corner of the shape. Hold down your mouse button and drag to expand the rectangle until it meets an edge of the page. Do this on all sides of the rectangle until it fills the page completely.[4]
    • If you’d rather not fill the page all the way, simply drag the rectangle into whatever size and position you like.
    • You can also set the shape to a specific size by clicking the Shape Format tab while the shape is selected, then entering the desired measurements in the Height and Width boxes.
  7. Image titled Insert a Background Image on One Page in Word Step 7
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    Navigate to the Shape Format tab. Keep the shape selected and open the Shape Format tab.[5] If you’re using the Windows version of Word, you can also go to the Drawing Tools tab.[6]
  8. Image titled Insert a Background Image on One Page in Word Step 8
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    Select Shape Fill. In the Shape Format tab or the Drawing Tools tab, look for a button labeled Shape Fill. Click the down arrow next to the button to open a menu with different fill options.[7]
  9. Image titled Insert a Background Image on One Page in Word Step 9
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    Click Picture…. In the drop-down menu, select Picture… from the list of options. This will allow you to fill the shape with the image of your choice.[8]
  10. Image titled Insert a Background Image on One Page in Word Step 10
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    Choose an image from your computer. Once you click Picture… a dialog box will open prompting you to insert an image. Browse your computer to find the image you want to use, select it, then click Insert.[9]
    • Once you do this, the image will appear inside the shape. However, it will appear stretched and distorted if the shape doesn’t match the dimensions of the original picture.
  11. Image titled Insert a Background Image on One Page in Word Step 11
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    Select Tile picture as texture. With the shape still selected, either right-click the shape and select Format Shape… or navigate to the Format Pane in the Shape Format tab. Select the Fill button in the Format Pane and check the box next to Tile picture as texture.
    • The Tile picture as texture option will fill the shape with repeated copies of your image. This is a good option if you want to use an abstract or repeating pattern as your background image.
  12. Image titled Insert a Background Image on One Page in Word Step 12
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    Increase transparency to make the image fainter. If the picture is too dark or vibrant, it may be hard to see your text against it. While you’re still in the Format Pane, select the
    Microsoft Word Insert Picture
    Image tab, then click Picture Transparency. Move the slider to make the image as transparent as you like.[10]
  13. Image titled Insert a Background Image on One Page in Word Step 13
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    Set the outline to No Outline. In the Shape Format tab, look for an Outline button next to the Shape Fill button. Click it to open the drop-down menu, then click No Outline.
    • If you’re using the Windows version of Word, you can also right-click the shape to open a format menu. Select Outline, then No Outline.[11]
  14. Image titled Insert a Background Image on One Page in Word Step 14
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    Right-click the shape and select Wrap Text. Now that the shape is in place, you’ll need to put it behind the text if you want it to show up in the background. You can either bring up this option by right-clicking the image and selecting Wrap Text or by navigating to the Layout tab and finding Wrap Text in the Selection group.[12]
  15. Image titled Insert a Background Image on One Page in Word Step 15
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    Select Behind Text from the text wrapping options. Once you do this, the shape will appear behind your text as a background image.[13]
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Method 2
Method 2 of 4:

Adding a Watermark (Windows)

  1. Image titled Insert a Background Image on One Page in Word Step 16
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    Open the Design tab. Open your Word document, then navigate to the Design tab in the ribbon menu at the top of the window. Click on the tab to open it.[14]
  2. Image titled Insert a Background Image on One Page in Word Step 17
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    Click Watermark. In the Design tab, click on the Watermark button.[15]
  3. Image titled Insert a Background Image on One Page in Word Step 18
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    Select Custom Watermark. This will allow you to create your own watermark from an image rather than choosing one of the preset watermarks in the Word gallery.[16]
  4. Image titled Insert a Background Image on One Page in Word Step 19
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    Click Picture Watermark and select your image. Once you choose Picture Watermark, you’ll be prompted to select an image. Click Select Image and either browse your computer for the picture you want, or use the option to search Bing Images to find one on the web.[17]
    • Once you find the image you want, click Insert to add the watermark. At this point, the watermark will be added to all the pages of your document.
  5. Image titled Insert a Background Image on One Page in Word Step 20
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    Open the header and select the watermark image. Double-click near the top of the page to open the header. Then, move your cursor over the watermark. Your cursor should change to a 4-headed selection arrow. Click the watermark to select it.[18]
  6. Image titled Insert a Background Image on One Page in Word Step 21
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    Navigate to the Design tab. With the watermark still selected, go to the Design tab in the ribbon menu at the top of the window.[19]
  7. Image titled Insert a Background Image on One Page in Word Step 22
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    Click Watermark in the Page Background group. This will open options for editing your custom watermark.[20]
  8. Image titled Insert a Background Image on One Page in Word Step 23
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    Select Save Selection to Watermark Gallery. Enter a name for your new watermark image. Then, click OK to save it.[21]
  9. Image titled Insert a Background Image on One Page in Word Step 24
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    Delete the watermark. To apply the watermark to just one page, you’ll need to delete it first and then re-apply it.[22] You can do this by pressing Delete while the watermark is still selected, or by opening Watermark in the Design tab and selecting No watermark.
  10. Image titled Insert a Background Image on One Page in Word Step 25
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    Open the Watermark menu again. Click the page where you want the watermark to appear, then click Watermark in the Design tab. This should open up a gallery of saved watermarks, including your custom design.[23]
  11. Image titled Insert a Background Image on One Page in Word Step 26
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    Right-click the watermark you want in the gallery. Locate your custom watermark in the gallery and right-click on it to open a context menu.[24]
  12. Image titled Insert a Background Image on One Page in Word Step 27
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    Select Insert at Current Document Position. This should be the first option on the menu. When you select it, the watermark image will appear on just the page that you selected.[25]
  13. Image titled Insert a Background Image on One Page in Word Step 28
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    Adjust the boldness of the watermark if you like. The watermark will automatically appear as a faint, washed-out image behind the text. If you want it to look bolder, select the watermark again, then open the Picture Tools tab. Select Format, then select Recolor, Brightness, or Contrast to adjust its appearance.[26]
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Method 3
Method 3 of 4:

Adding a Watermark (Mac)

  1. Image titled Insert a Background Image on One Page in Word Step 29
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    Navigate to the Layout tab. To add a watermark to just one page in the Mac version of Word, you’ll need to isolate that page from the rest of the document. Start by going to the Layout tab in the ribbon menu at the top of the document window.[27]
  2. Image titled Insert a Background Image on One Page in Word Step 30
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    Insert section breaks before and after the page. Scroll to the bottom of the page just before the one where you want the watermark to appear, then click the Breaks button in the Layout tab. Go to the Section Breaks section of the menu and select Next Page. Do the same thing at the bottom of the page where you want the watermark to appear.[28]
    • If you’re putting the watermark on the first page of the document, you only need to insert a break at the bottom of that page.
  3. Image titled Insert a Background Image on One Page in Word Step 31
    3
    Go to the Design tab. Once you’ve inserted the section breaks, navigate to Design in the ribbon menu and click on it.[29]
  4. Image titled Insert a Background Image on One Page in Word Step 32
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    Select Watermark. The Watermark button is located on the far right side of the Design tab. Click it to open a dialog box with options for inserting a watermark.[30]
  5. Image titled Insert a Background Image on One Page in Word Step 33
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    Turn on the Picture radio button. Once the dialog box pops up, click the button next to Picture. This is the second option, right under No watermark.[31]
  6. Image titled Insert a Background Image on One Page in Word Step 34
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    Click Select Picture… and insert your image. When you click the Select Picture… button, a Finder window will pop up. Browse your computer and select the image you want to use for your watermark, then click Insert. Click OK to apply the watermark.[32]
    • By default, your watermark will appear washed out and will be automatically scaled to fit the page. It will also appear on every page in the document.
    • Uncheck the Washout option if you want the watermark to appear with its original brightness and contrast.
    • Change the scale with the Scale dropdown menu to make the image bigger or smaller.
  7. Image titled Insert a Background Image on One Page in Word Step 35
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    Double-click at the top of the page to open the Header & Footer tab. Navigate to the page where you want the watermark to appear, then double-click at the top. This will open the header and footer, and will automatically take you to the Header & Footer tab in the ribbon menu. You can also go to the Insert tab, then select Header. Then, scroll to the bottom of the dropdown menu and select Edit Header.
  8. Image titled Insert a Background Image on One Page in Word Step 36
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    Deselect Link to Previous. Click the header at the top of the page, then navigate to Link to Previous in the Header & Footer tab. Make sure that this option is deselected. Do the same thing with the header on the next page after the one where you want the watermark to appear.[33]
  9. Image titled Insert a Background Image on One Page in Word Step 37
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    Select the watermark on any pages where you don’t want it to appear. With the Header & Footer tab still open, scroll to any pages where you don’t want to have the watermark visible. Hover your cursor over the watermark and click on it to select it.
  10. Image titled Insert a Background Image on One Page in Word Step 38
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    Press Delete to remove the watermark. Once the watermark is selected, hit the Delete key. The watermark should disappear from that page and any pages that are linked to it. You should still see the watermark on the page that you isolated with the section breaks.
  11. Image titled Insert a Background Image on One Page in Word Step 39
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    Close the Header and Footer. Once you’ve deleted the watermark from any pages where you don’t want it to appear, click on Close Header and Footer on the right side of the Header & Footer menu. Now you will have a watermark image in the background of just one page.
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Method 4
Method 4 of 4:

Using the Insert Image Tool

  1. Image titled Insert a Background Image on One Page in Word Step 40
    1
    Open the Insert tab. Navigate to the page where you want the image to appear, then click the Insert tab in the ribbon menu at the top of the document.[34]
  2. Image titled Insert a Background Image on One Page in Word Step 41
    2
    Click the
    Microsoft Word Insert Picture
    Pictures button.     This will open up a series of options for finding and selecting an image, either from your computer, from the web, or from a gallery of stock images or backgrounds.[35]
  3. Image titled Insert a Background Image on One Page in Word Step 42
    3
    Choose an image and click Insert. Once you’ve found the image you want, select it and click the Insert button to add it to your document.[36]
  4. Image titled Insert a Background Image on One Page in Word Step 43
    4
    Position the image wherever you like on the page. Once you insert the image, click it to select it, then drag it to your preferred position on the page. You can also use the “handles” on the edges and corners of the image to resize it.[37]
    • If you want to resize the image without changing its proportions, select the image and open the Picture Format tab. Make sure the Lock aspect ratio box is checked, then type in either the height or width you want in the image size text boxes. The other dimension will automatically adjust to match.
  5. Image titled Insert a Background Image on One Page in Word Step 44
    5
    Right-click the image and select Wrap Text. Or, if you’re on a Mac, use Control click. When the context menu pops up, select the Wrap Text option.
    • You can also access the Wrap Text menu by navigating to the Layout tab while the image is selected. You’ll find it in the Selection Group on the right side of the ribbon menu.
  6. Image titled Insert a Background Image on One Page in Word Step 45
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    Select Behind Text. The Behind Text option will send the image to the background of your document. Once you deselect the image, you can type over it.[38]
  7. Image titled Insert a Background Image on One Page in Word Step 46
    7
    Set the picture transparency in the Picture Format tab. If the image is too bold for you to easily see the text in front of it, you can adjust its transparency. With the image selected, go to the Picture Format tab and click the Transparency button. Select from one of the preset options or click Picture Transparency Options… to customize the transparency of the image.
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References

  1. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/add-shapes-0e492bb4-3f91-43b5-803f-dd0998e0eb89#OfficeVersion=macOS
  2. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/add-shapes-0e492bb4-3f91-43b5-803f-dd0998e0eb89#OfficeVersion=macOS
  3. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/add-shapes-0e492bb4-3f91-43b5-803f-dd0998e0eb89#OfficeVersion=macOS
  4. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/change-the-size-of-a-picture-shape-text-box-or-wordart-in-word-901ec456-33ce-40d3-828d-5552ee794aa1
  5. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/add-shapes-0e492bb4-3f91-43b5-803f-dd0998e0eb89#OfficeVersion=macOS
  6. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/change-the-colors-in-a-text-box-or-shape-c3ab6bb7-89f9-4908-912e-e86ea5fd106d
  7. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/add-shapes-0e492bb4-3f91-43b5-803f-dd0998e0eb89#OfficeVersion=macOS
  8. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/add-shapes-0e492bb4-3f91-43b5-803f-dd0998e0eb89#OfficeVersion=macOS
  9. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/add-shapes-0e492bb4-3f91-43b5-803f-dd0998e0eb89#OfficeVersion=macOS
  1. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/make-a-picture-transparent-in-word-128bfdb6-9906-4f9d-b4c6-e5aa22ba082f
  2. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/make-a-picture-transparent-in-word-128bfdb6-9906-4f9d-b4c6-e5aa22ba082f
  3. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/layout-options-a0f53857-b501-46c6-ba8b-68ba51e0e3cc#ID0EBBD=Text_Wrapping
  4. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/layout-options-a0f53857-b501-46c6-ba8b-68ba51e0e3cc#ID0EBBD=Text_Wrapping
  5. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/use-a-custom-watermark-954cd296-7dab-4731-b5dd-84f9fa15bcd3
  6. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/use-a-custom-watermark-954cd296-7dab-4731-b5dd-84f9fa15bcd3
  7. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/use-a-custom-watermark-954cd296-7dab-4731-b5dd-84f9fa15bcd3
  8. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/insert-a-picture-watermark-b48f5c1e-8b71-4aa3-b753-bc661760cd3a#ID0EBDD=Windows_-_newer
  9. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/use-a-custom-watermark-954cd296-7dab-4731-b5dd-84f9fa15bcd3
  10. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/use-a-custom-watermark-954cd296-7dab-4731-b5dd-84f9fa15bcd3
  11. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/use-a-custom-watermark-954cd296-7dab-4731-b5dd-84f9fa15bcd3
  12. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/use-a-custom-watermark-954cd296-7dab-4731-b5dd-84f9fa15bcd3
  13. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/insert-a-background-picture-or-image-in-word-08782ea3-086c-4778-94bb-2ea3d187f83e#ID0EDBD=Windows
  14. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/insert-a-watermark-on-just-one-page-7b84b344-e92b-486e-9c92-466a21a39de8
  15. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/insert-a-watermark-on-just-one-page-7b84b344-e92b-486e-9c92-466a21a39de8
  16. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/insert-a-watermark-on-just-one-page-7b84b344-e92b-486e-9c92-466a21a39de8
  17. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/adjust-the-washout-effect-of-a-watermark-63c0d9f5-f9da-4c55-8276-b959c3edd012
  18. ↑ https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/msoffice/forum/all/how-to-make-a-single-page-watermark-in-a-multiple/c2c07c9e-ea2a-42ce-9aec-ace7b035acdd
  19. ↑ https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/msoffice/forum/all/how-to-make-a-single-page-watermark-in-a-multiple/c2c07c9e-ea2a-42ce-9aec-ace7b035acdd
  20. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/insert-a-picture-watermark-b48f5c1e-8b71-4aa3-b753-bc661760cd3a#ID0EBDD=macOS_-_newer
  21. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/insert-a-picture-watermark-b48f5c1e-8b71-4aa3-b753-bc661760cd3a#ID0EBDD=macOS_-_newer
  22. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/insert-a-picture-watermark-b48f5c1e-8b71-4aa3-b753-bc661760cd3a#ID0EBDD=macOS_-_newer
  23. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/insert-a-picture-watermark-b48f5c1e-8b71-4aa3-b753-bc661760cd3a#ID0EBDD=macOS_-_newer
  24. ↑ https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/msoffice/forum/all/how-to-make-a-single-page-watermark-in-a-multiple/c2c07c9e-ea2a-42ce-9aec-ace7b035acdd
  25. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/insert-pictures-3c51edf4-22e1-460a-b372-9329a8724344#OfficeVersion=Windows_newer_versions
  26. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/insert-pictures-3c51edf4-22e1-460a-b372-9329a8724344#OfficeVersion=Windows_newer_versions
  27. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/insert-pictures-3c51edf4-22e1-460a-b372-9329a8724344#OfficeVersion=Windows_newer_versions
  28. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/insert-pictures-3c51edf4-22e1-460a-b372-9329a8724344#OfficeVersion=Windows_newer_versions
  29. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/layout-options-a0f53857-b501-46c6-ba8b-68ba51e0e3cc#ID0EBBD=Text_Wrapping

About This Article

Luigi Oppido
Co-authored by:
Luigi Oppido
Computer & Tech Specialist
This article was co-authored by Luigi Oppido and by wikiHow staff writer, Megaera Lorenz, PhD. Luigi Oppido is the Owner and Operator of Pleasure Point Computers in Santa Cruz, California. Luigi has over 25 years of experience in general computer repair, data recovery, virus removal, and upgrades. He is also the host of the Computer Man Show! broadcasted on KSQD covering central California for over two years. This article has been viewed 26,903 times.
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Co-authors: 2
Updated: April 20, 2022
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Categories: Microsoft Word
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