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How to add a watermark to a Word document

Here is a quick skill to add to your Word repertoire – a little touch of Basildon Bond to your paperwork.

Watermarks aren’t just to look fancy, they do perform a useful function of reminding the reader that a document is in draft, or it is confidential.

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Using a watermark is a clear visual reminder for confidential documents.

To add a watermark to your Word document, you need to use the Page Layout tab, and use the Page Background section to find the Watermark button

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The drop down menu from the Watermark button gives you ready-made options, or you can create your own using the Text Watermark option.

I want to add the Confidential watermark to my draft agenda. So I can just click on the “Confidential 1” and click ok to apply it to my document.

It is that quick. I learned this in a few minutes but use it everyday.  For more tips from introduction to advances, take a look at our word training courses https://www.stl-training.co.uk/word-training-london.php

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Writing a Christmas newsletter the easy way with Word 2010

Either you love them or hate them, but Christmas newsletters can be great fun to create and a good way of sharing news with colleagues or family and friends.   If you volunteer for a charity or help out with your local school, you may be asked to sort out the newsletter.

You can save yourself time, and prevent pulling your hair out, by using one of the templates in Word.  Yes, if you have time, you can start from scratch and create the headings, and columns, sections for photos or background colours.  But, frankly, in between making sure my child learns Christmas songs for the school performance and organising the hundred and one other end of year activities, I don’t have time.

So, Word has a little gift for me.  The newsletter template.  All shiny, colourful and ready to go.  Now all I have to do is customise it, and add some content (compiled from different emails from other “willing volunteers”) and ta da! We have a newsletter, ready to go on the website, or added to school bags as a hard copy.

Here is my “I-don’t-have-time-to-start-from-scratch” newsletter survival plan….

Select your template in Word, from the File tab (backstage view). Look at how many you have to choose from…and what’s more, they are calorie-free.

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Look the Microsoft Elves have come up with loads of templates for me to choose from. From a formal newsletter to a cheery family one.

Great, download the template you want, save it to your system and start customising it with your school//charity logo.  Change the colours if you want, or font.

Luckily you can preview changes before you apply them…or just use Control plus Z to undo them if you don’t like them.

I opt for the template “Weekly Class newsletter” and using this I can customise it to fit in with what I want.

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ClipArt is in the illustrations section of the Insert tab.

I can use ClipArt to change the image at the top of the newsletter.  I delete the 2 images that are there (the boy, plus the image of the pencils) and replace them using the Insert menu, selecting ClipArt, and using the dialogue box to select the image of Santa that I want.  I can then work with the image to fit the format.  I can also now type in my headings and content, using the columns and formatting already included.  I now have a structure to add my photos, text, and images to.

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I have changed the ClipArt image to a Santa one, and added a photo, and started to add the text.

This template has two pages, so I have space to add all my reminders for next term, updates on news from the Autumn term, and photos from the school play.  Within 10 minutes I have a newsletter up and running.  I can carry on customising it, and adding content and have a professional-looking newsletter in the time it takes me to drink  two cups of coffee.

Sometimes, shortcuts are the best way to go.  With Christmas bringing goodwill and cheer and extra work for work and home life, it is worth using your Microsoft Word Training London courses to give you the gift of a bit of extra time and less stress. https://www.stl-training.co.uk/word-2010-intermediate.php