To add a watermark in Excel for Windows, choose Insert > Header & Footer, click a header section, then select Picture and insert your watermark image. Click outside the header to display it. This method repeats the image on printed pages and works in Excel for Microsoft 365 and Excel 2024 for Windows.
For editable watermark text, use WordArt, which is also Microsoft's watermark method for Mac. In Excel for the web, you can place a prepared image over cells, but you cannot create a repeating header watermark. Choose a header picture for repeated printed markings or a floating object for text or images you position yourself.
The short version
- Printed pages: Insert a picture in a Windows worksheet header to repeat your watermark.
- Editable text: Use WordArt on Windows or Mac and position additional copies yourself.
- Browser option: Insert an already faint image over cells in Excel for the web.
- Preview matters: Header watermarks appear in Page Layout, Print Preview, and printouts rather than Normal view.
| Method | Where it works | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Header or footer picture | Microsoft 365 and Excel 2024 for Windows | Visible in page-oriented views and printouts |
| WordArt text | Microsoft 365 and Excel 2024 on Windows and Mac | Needs manual placement and copies |
| Transparent floating picture | Microsoft 365 and Excel 2024 on Windows and Mac | Does not automatically repeat per page |
| Prepared floating picture | Excel for the web | Transparency must be prepared beforehand |
| Sheet background | Microsoft 365 and Excel 2024 for Windows | Tiles across the sheet and never prints |
| Multiple sheets through Page Setup | Microsoft 365 and Excel 2024 for Windows | Requires selecting the intended sheets |
| Workbook template | Microsoft 365 and Excel 2024 on Windows and Mac | Reuses a watermark you already created |
| PDF watermark | Acrobat desktop with watermark editing entitlement | Changes the exported PDF only |
Add a picture watermark on Windows
Start with an image containing your logo or prepared watermark text. Select one worksheet, open Insert > Header & Footer, and click the header section where you want to insert it. Choose Picture in the Header & Footer Elements group, then select the image.
Excel inserts the placeholder &[Picture] into the header. Click a worksheet cell outside the header to see the image. The picture repeats through the header on the worksheet's printed pages, so you do not need to place a separate copy on each page.
You can see a header watermark in Page Layout, Print Preview, and printed output. If you return to Normal view and the picture disappears, switch back to Page Layout to inspect it. Switching views does not remove the picture.
Adjust the size and position
Click the header containing your picture, then choose Format Picture in Header & Footer Elements. The contextual ribbon tab may be named Header & Footer or Design. Open Size to adjust the picture's dimensions.
To change its appearance, open Picture > Color within the picture formatting controls and select an available option. Click outside the header to preview the result over the worksheet. Adjust the appearance and size so you can still read the cell contents.
To move the watermark farther down the page, place the cursor before &[Picture] in the header and press Enter. Click outside the header again to inspect the placement. Use Format Picture > Size for dimensions and the space before the placeholder for downward positioning.
Create a text watermark on Windows
For editable text such as DRAFT, choose Insert > Text > WordArt and select a style. Replace the placeholder with your watermark text. Select the text and use Home > Font to enlarge it.
Choose Shape Format > Text Fill and select a pale color. Move the object over the required cells, then drag its rotation handle to make the text diagonal. WordArt floats over worksheet content and does not repeat automatically, so place copies wherever you need additional markings.
If you want the text to repeat on printed pages, turn the WordArt into an image and insert it in the header. Create the WordArt on an empty worksheet, then open View and uncheck Gridlines in the Show group. Capture the text area and save it as an image using the following Windows 11 steps.
On Windows 11, press Windows + Shift + S, select the rectangular capture mode, and select the watermark area. Open the capture notification and select Save; for more capture instructions, see how to take a screenshot on your device. Insert the saved picture through Insert > Header & Footer, click a header section, and choose Picture. Adjust its size and position with the header controls.
Add watermark text on Mac
In Excel for Microsoft 365 for Mac or Excel 2024 for Mac, choose View > Page Layout. Open Insert > WordArt, select a style, and replace the placeholder with your watermark text. Move and rotate the object into position.
Hold Control and click the text box, then choose Format Shape > Text Options > Text Fill. Set Transparency to 50% or higher so the worksheet content remains visible beneath the text. Review its size and placement in Page Layout.
For additional printed pages, select the WordArt object and press Command + C. Select another page, press Command + V, and reposition the copy. Repeat where needed, then choose View > Normal when you finish.
Use a floating picture on desktop or web
Use a floating picture when you want a logo over a particular area of the worksheet. In Excel for Microsoft 365 or Excel 2024 on Windows and Mac, insert or select a floating picture. Choose Picture Format > Transparency and select a preset.
For more control, choose Picture Transparency Options and adjust Transparency in Format Picture. Resize and position the picture over the required cells. Additional pages need their own copies or placement because floating pictures do not automatically repeat.
In Excel for the web, prepare an image that is already faint or transparent because the browser version cannot set picture transparency itself. If the workbook is not in editing mode, switch it to editing first. Open Insert > Pictures > Place over cells > This Device…, select the image, and choose Open. Move and resize it over the cells you want to mark.
To continue in an installed, licensed desktop application, open the workbook in the Excel desktop app. On Windows, follow the header-picture procedure for a repeating watermark and save the workbook. On Mac, use the WordArt procedure and position copies on the required pages.
Fix watermarks that print incorrectly
Before printing a header watermark, inspect it in Print Preview. If the first page or alternating pages show different markings, open Insert > Header & Footer and click a header section. In the contextual ribbon's Options group, review Different First Page and Different Odd & Even Pages. If either is selected, configure the corresponding headers for those pages.
Select Scale with Document when you want the header or footer to scale with the worksheet. Select Align with Page Margins when its horizontal alignment should match the page margins. Preview the pages again after changing these settings.
If a sheet background is missing from the printout, use a header picture for the printed watermark. Microsoft says sheet backgrounds do not print. Keep a background only when you want an onscreen marking.
To add that onscreen background in Excel for Microsoft 365 or Excel 2024 for Windows, select one worksheet and choose Page Layout > Page Setup > Background. Select your picture, then choose Insert. Excel tiles the image across the sheet.
Remove or replace the watermark
To remove a Windows header picture, open Insert > Header & Footer and click its header section. Select &[Picture], press Delete, then click a worksheet cell. To replace it, insert the new image through Picture and adjust its size and placement.
For WordArt in Windows Excel, select the entire object and press Delete. Remove each additional copy you placed on other pages as well. To remove a Windows sheet background, choose Page Layout > Delete Background.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you add a watermark to several worksheets at once?
Yes, in Excel for Microsoft 365 and Excel 2024 for Windows, hold Ctrl and click the required worksheet tabs, then open Page Layout and the Page Setup dialog box launcher. Choose Header/Footer, then Custom Header or Custom Footer. Select Left, Center, or Right, then use the picture insertion button to add your image.
Can you put the watermark in a footer instead of a header?
Yes, Excel for Microsoft 365 and Excel 2024 for Windows support footer pictures. Choose Insert > Header & Footer, click the required footer section, then choose Picture and select the image. Use Format Picture > Size to adjust its dimensions.
How do you save a watermarked workbook as a template on Windows?
In Excel for Microsoft 365 or Excel 2024 for Windows, prepare your watermarked workbook, then open File > Options > Save and set Default personal templates location. Choose File > Export > Change File Type, then double-click Template under Workbook File Types. Enter a File name and choose Save. To reuse it, choose File > New > Personal and open the template.
How do you reuse a watermarked workbook on Mac?
In Excel for Microsoft 365 for Mac or Excel 2024 for Mac, prepare the watermarked workbook and choose File > Save as Template. Enter its name in Save As. Under File Format, select Excel Template (.xltx), then select Save. To reuse it, choose File > New from Template and select the template.
Can you add a watermark only to an exported PDF?
Yes, save or export the workbook as a PDF, then open it in Adobe Acrobat desktop with watermark editing entitlement, such as Acrobat Pro on Windows or Mac. Choose Edit > Watermark > Add, then select Text or File under Source. Configure Appearance and Position, then choose OK. This changes the PDF while leaving the Excel workbook unaffected.