9. Format document elements

You have already explored some of the more common graphic elements you can add to a document, such as pictures, diagrams, and charts. These elements reinforce concepts or help make a document more visually appealing. You can also add other types of visual elements, such as document page backgrounds, which can be colors, textures, patterns, or pictures; and watermarks, which display text or an image behind the text on each page.

You can draw attention to specific information and add graphic appeal by incorporating preformatted document parts, also called building blocks or Quick Parts, into a document. These are combinations of drawing objects (and sometimes pictures) in a variety of formatting styles that you can select to insert elements such as cover pages, quotations pulled from the text (called pull quotes), and sidebars. Many of the built-in building blocks have graphic elements that coordinate with Office themes to add an extra visual impact to your document. You can use themed header, footer, and page number building blocks to provide useful information to readers, or you can create these page elements from scratch.

This chapter guides you through procedures related to formatting the page background; inserting a background watermark; inserting headers, footers, and page numbers; and inserting preformatted document parts.

• Gradient You can select a premade gradient or choose two colors and the direction you want the gradient to flow—for example, horizontal, diagonal down, or from the center—to have Word blend them for you.

  

  You can configure fill effects with multiple colors and in a variety of directions

• Texture Word offers 24 predefined textures, including textures designed to resemble papyrus, denim, woven mat, water droplets, granite, cork, and wood. In addition to these, you can apply textures saved as image files on your own computer, and even locate additional textures online.

  

  A page with the Water Droplets texture applied to the background

• Pattern Word offers a variety of predefined patterns, such as polka dots, stripes, and checkerboards—and even plaid. In addition to choosing a pattern, you select a foreground and background color.

  

  Word provides a preview of the selected effect in the Sample box

  Tip

  When you use a texture or pattern background, Word configures it to repeat seamlessly across the page.

• Picture You can use a picture from your computer or any connected online storage locations as the document background.

  

  Use any photo as the page background

  You can insert a background picture from the Texture tab or Picture tab of the Fill Effects dialog box, though with slightly different results. Inserting an image from the Texture tab adds it to the Texture gallery.

Another way to change the background of your document is to apply a border. This is a good way to provide some definition to your document. Word offers several border styles from which to choose, including Box, Shadow, 3-D, and more. You can also change the style, color, and thickness of the border. For a bit more pizzazz, you can apply an Art border. Options include borders made of stars, suns, flowers, and more.

A blank page with an art border applied

When it comes to backgrounds, the trick is to not overdo it. The effects should be subtle enough that they do not interfere with the text or other elements on the page or make the document difficult to read.

To apply a solid background color

1. On the Design tab, in the Page Background group, select the Page Color button.

2. On the Page Color menu, do either of the following:

   • In the Theme Colors or Standard Colors palette, select a color swatch.

   • Select More Colors, use the commands in the Colors dialog box to select a custom color, and then select OK.

To configure a preset gradient page background

1. On the Page Color menu, select Fill Effects to display the Gradient tab of the Fill Effects dialog box.

2. In the Colors area, select Preset.

3. Under Preset colors, select a background. The Variants and Sample areas change to show variations of the background.

4. In the Shading styles area, select the options to observe their effects in the Variants and Sample areas, and then select the shading style you want.

5. Select OK.

To configure a gradient color page background

1. Display the Gradient tab of the Fill Effects dialog box.

2. In the Colors area, select One color or Two colors.

3. In the color palette or palettes, select the colors you want to use. The Variants and Sample areas change to show variations of the background.

4. If you selected a one-color gradient, drag the Darkness slider until the colors in the Sample area look the way you want.

5. In the Shading styles area, select the options to observe their effects in the Variants and Sample areas, and then select a shading style.

6. Select OK.

To configure a textured page background

1. Display the Texture tab of the Fill Effects dialog box.

2. In the texture gallery, select the options to observe their effects in the Sample area, and then select a texture swatch.

3. Select OK.

To configure a patterned page background

1. Display the Pattern tab of the Fill Effects dialog box.

2. In the Foreground and Background color charts, select the colors you want to use for the pattern.

3. In the pattern gallery, select the options to observe their effects in the Sample area, and then select a pattern tile.

4. Select OK.

To configure a picture page background

1. Display the Picture tab of the Fill Effects dialog box.

2. Click or tap the Select Picture button to open the Insert Pictures dialog box. Then do one of the following:

   • In the From a file area, select Browse. Then locate and select the picture you want to use and select Insert.

   • In the Bing Image Search area, enter a search word or phrase in the search box and press Enter. A dialog box containing pictures that match the word or phrase you entered appears; select the picture you want to use and select Insert.

   • In the OneDrive area, select Browse. Then locate and select the picture you want to use and select Insert.

3. Select OK.

   Important

   Word fills the page with as much of the picture as will fit. If one copy of the picture does not completely fill the page, Word inserts another copy, effectively “tiling” the image. If the picture is particularly large, only a portion of it will be visible. If you want to display the entire picture, resize it in a graphics app and then reselect it as the page background.

To remove the page background

1. On the Design tab, in the Page Background group, select the Page Color button.

2. On the Page Color menu, select No Color.

To apply a simple border

1. In the Page Background group, select the Page Borders button to display the Page Border page of the Borders And Shading dialog box.

2. In the Setting area of the Borders and Shading dialog box, select the type of border you want.

3. In the Style, Color, Width, and Art boxes, select the options you want.

4. When the border in the Preview box looks the way you want, select OK.

Text watermarks can be any color

Word offers various predefined text watermarks, including CONFIDENTIAL, DO NOT COPY, and URGENT watermarks. These watermarks can be positioned diagonally or horizontally on the page. Additional predefined text watermarks are available from Office.com.

In addition, you can create a custom text watermark that features whatever text you like. For example, you might create a text watermark that includes the name of your organization. When you create a custom text watermark, you can select the font, size, and color of the text, whether it appears diagonally or horizontally, and whether it is solid or semitransparent.

If you want to dress up the pages of your document without taking attention from the main text, you might consider displaying a graphic watermark, such as a company logo or an image that subtly reinforces your message. Watermarks are visible in printed and online documents, but because they are faint, they don’t interfere with the display of the document’s main text.

You can use a picture, such as a company or team logo, as a watermark

By default, the Watermark feature adds a watermark to all pages of your document except the title page (if the document includes a title page). If you want to add the watermark to only specific pages, you can do so by adding it in the header or footer defined for those pages.

To add a predefined watermark to a document

1. Open the document to which you want to add a watermark.

2. On the Design tab, in the Page Background group, select the Watermark button to display the Watermark gallery and menu.

   

   The predefined categories include Confidential, Disclaimer, and Urgent

3. In the gallery, select a watermark to insert it in light gray on every page of the document.

To add a custom text watermark

1. On the Watermark menu, select Custom Watermark to open the Printed Watermark dialog box.

2. Select Text watermark.

3. If necessary, in the Language list, select the language you want.

4. In the Text box, enter the text you want to appear in your watermark.

5. In the Font, Size, and Color boxes, choose the options you want.

6. If you want to reduce the opacity of the watermark color, select the Semitransparent check box.

7. In the Layout area, select either Diagonal or Horizontal.

   

   Configure a custom picture or text watermark

8. Do either of the following:

   • Select Apply to apply the watermark to the document but leave the dialog box open, so that you can review the effect and make adjustments if you want.

   • Select OK to apply the watermark and close the dialog box.

To add a picture watermark to a document

1. Open the Printed Watermark dialog box and select Picture watermark.

2. Click or tap Select Picture to open the Insert Pictures window. Then do one of the following:

   • To use a picture from your computer or a connected storage drive, in the From a file area, select Browse to open the Insert Picture dialog box.

   • To use a picture from your connected OneDrive cloud storage, in the OneDrive area, select Browse.

   • To use a picture that appears in an online search, in the Bing Image Search area, enter a word or phrase in the search box and press Enter to display pictures that match the search term.

3. Locate and select the picture you want to use and select Insert.

4. In the Printed Watermark dialog box, in the Scale list, select the scale you want to use.

   Tip

   If you’re not sure what scale to choose, select Auto. Word will scale the picture automatically.

5. If you want the picture to appear washed out, select the Washout check box.

6. Do either of the following:

   • Select Apply to apply the watermark to the document but leave the dialog box open, so that you can review the effect and make adjustments if you want.

   • Select OK to apply the watermark and close the dialog box.

To add a watermark to every other page of a document

1. Open the document header or footer.

2. On the Header & Footer Tools Design tool tab, in the Options group, select the Different Odd & Even Pages check box.

3. Move to any odd or even page header or footer.

4. Follow the procedure to insert a predefined, custom text, or picture watermark.

5. On the Design tool tab, in the Close group, select Close Header & Footer.

To add a watermark to specific pages of a document

1. Insert section breaks at the beginning and end of the document content for which you want to display the watermark. You can use a continuous section break or a section break that creates a page break.

2. Open the header or footer within the section you want to watermark.

3. On the Header & Footer Tools Design tool tab, in the Navigation group, ensure that Link to Previous is not selected for the current section or the one that follows it.

4. Position the cursor in the header or footer of the section you want to watermark.

5. Follow the procedure to insert a predefined, custom text, or picture watermark.

6. Scroll through the document to ensure that the watermark appears in only the intended section.

7. On the Design tool tab, in the Close group, select Close Header & Footer.

To remove a watermark

• Display the Watermark menu and select Remove Watermark.

Headers and footers are highly customizable. You can have a different header and footer on the first page of a document and different headers and footers on odd and even pages. You can manually insert text or graphic elements in a header or footer, select common elements (such as page number, date and time, or a document property) from a menu, or insert a preformatted building block. (For more information about building blocks, see the next topic, “Insert preformatted document parts.”) You can also mix different headers, footers, and document themes to create a document that has the look and feel you want.

Headers and footers can include any information you want to display

It is common to insert page numbers in a document that will be printed. You can manually insert a page number element in a header or footer, or use one of the many predefined header, footer, or page number objects Word provides on the Design tool tab for headers and footers. These predefined page number options insert the number in the header, footer, left margin, or right margin. They may also include the word “Page,” document properties such as the title or total number of pages, and themed graphic elements.

To insert custom header or footer content

1. Activate the header or footer by using one of these methods:

   • Position the cursor anywhere in the document. On the Insert tab, in the Header & Footer group, select the Header button or the Footer button, and then select the corresponding Edit command on the menu.

   • In Print Layout view, double-click in the top margin of a page to activate the header or in the bottom margin to activate the footer.

2. In the header or footer area, do any of the following:

   • Insert and format content by using the standard commands.

   • From the Insert group on the Design tool tab, insert the date, time, an image, or document information you want to include.

   • Use the preset tabs to align content at the left margin, in the center, and at the right margin, or modify the tabs to meet your needs.

3. In the Close group, select the Close Header and Footer button.

   Important

   If your document includes a cover page, the header or footer should first appear on the second page of the file and display page number 1. Cover pages are counted separately from document pages.

To insert a preformatted header or footer

1. On the Insert tab, in the Header & Footer group, select the Header button or the Footer button.

2. In the Header gallery or the Footer gallery, select the design you want.

3. Replace any text placeholders and enter any other information you want to appear.

4. In the Close group, select Close Header and Footer.

To insert the current date or time in a header or footer

1. In the header or footer, position the cursor where you want the date or time to appear.

2. On the Design tool tab, in the Insert group, select the Date & Time button (the ScreenTip shows Insert Date and Time).

3. In the Date and Time dialog box, do the following, and then select OK:

   • Select the format in which you want the date or time to appear in the header or footer.

   • If you want Word to update the date or time in the header each time you save the document, select the Update automatically check box.

To navigate among headers and footers

• Click in the header or footer area, and then on the Design tool tab, in the Navigation group, do any of the following:

  • Select the Go to Header button to move the cursor to the header area at the top of the page.

  • Select the Go to Footer button to move the cursor to the footer area at the bottom of the page.

  • Select the Next button to move to the header or footer area of the next section.

  • Select the Previous button to move to the header or footer area of the previous section.

To modify standard header or footer settings

1. On the Design tool tab, in the Options group, do any of the following:

   • Select the Different First Page check box if you want to use a different header or footer on the first page of the document. You might want to do this if, for example, the first page of the document is a cover page.

   • Select the Different Odd & Even Pages check box if you want to use different headers or footers for odd pages and for even pages. Select this option if the content of the header or footer is not centered and the document content will be viewed on facing pages.

   • Clear the Show Document Text check box if you find that you’re distracted by the main document text when working in the header or footer.

2. In the Position group, set the Header from Top or Footer from Bottom distance.

3. In the Close group, select the Close Header and Footer button.

To change the format of page numbers

1. On the Insert tab or Design tool tab (when the header or footer is active), in the Header & Footer group, select the Page Number button, and then select Format Page Numbers.

2. In the Page Number Format dialog box, in the Number format list, select the format you want.

3. Select any other options you want, and then select OK.

To insert a page number building block independently of a header or footer

1. On the Insert tab, in the Header & Footer group, select the Page Number button.

2. On the Page Number menu, select one of the following to display building blocks with page numbers in those locations:

   • Top of Page

   • Bottom of Page

   • Page Margins

   • Current Position

3. Scroll through the submenu to review the available page number building blocks, and then select the one you want to insert.

To delete a header or footer

• Activate the header or footer. Press Ctrl+A to select all the content of the header or footer, and then press the Delete key.

• On the Insert tab, in the Header & Footer group, select Header or Footer, and then select the corresponding Remove command.

In addition to inserting headers and footers, you can insert the following types of building blocks:

• Cover page You can quickly add a formatted cover page to a document such as a report by selecting a style from the Cover Page gallery. The cover page includes text placeholders for elements such as a title so that you can customize the page to reflect the content of the document.

  

  You can add document-specific information to the basic cover page

• Text box To reinforce key concepts and also alleviate the monotony of page after page of plain text, you can insert text boxes such as sidebars and quote boxes by selecting a style from the Text Box gallery. The formatted text box includes placeholder text that you replace with your own.

  

  Placeholder text in the quote box tells how to enter text and move the quote box on the page

Most building blocks include text fields that contain placeholders for information. For example, a cover page building block might contain placeholders for the date, title, subtitle, author name, company name, or company address. You can replace this text by selecting it and then typing over it with text of your own. For example, you can select the Document Title placeholder text in a cover page and replace it with the actual title of your document.

Of course, you are not restricted to the default contents of the building block. You can change the building block in any way that you want to—altering the text and various visual elements. For example, if you insert a text box building block, you can change the box’s size and other characteristics by using the Format tool tab that appears when the box is selected. Think of the building box as a convenient starting point.

You can display all available building blocks in the Building Blocks Organizer dialog box. The left pane of this dialog box displays a complete list of all the building blocks available on your computer. Selecting a building block in the left pane displays a preview in the right pane, along with its description and behavior.

The Building Blocks Organizer includes all available building blocks

Initially, the building blocks are organized by type, as reflected in the Gallery column. If you want to insert building blocks of the same design in a document—for example, a cover page, footer, header, quote box, and sidebar all in the Whisp design—you might want to select the Name column heading to sort the list alphabetically by design name. Some elements, such as bibliographies, equations, tables of contents, tables, and watermarks, are not part of a design family and have their own unique names.

You can display a dialog box containing all the information about a selected building block in a more readable format. To do so, select the building block you want to learn more about, and then select the Edit Properties button in the lower-left corner of the Building Blocks Organizer dialog box. Although you can use this dialog box to change the properties associated with any building block, be cautious when doing so. If you change the properties assigned to a building block that came with Word, you might accidentally render it unusable.

The Modify Building Block dialog box

If you frequently use a specific element in your documents, such as a formatted title-subtitle-author arrangement at the beginning of reports, you can define it as a custom building block. It will then then become available from the Quick Parts gallery.

To display all available building blocks

• On the Insert tab, in the Text group, select the Quick Parts button, and then select Building Blocks Organizer to open the Building Blocks Organizer dialog box.

To insert and modify a cover page

1. On the Insert tab, in the Pages group, select the Cover Page button to display the gallery of available cover pages.

   

   Thumbnails display cover page designs and standard text layout

2. Scroll through the Cover Page gallery to display the available options, and then select a thumbnail to insert the cover page at the beginning of the document.

3. Select a placeholder, select the arrow that appears, and then do either of the following:

   • Enter the text you want to use for the selected placeholder. As you enter the text, its appearance on the page reflects the character formatting applied to the placeholder.

   • If a control appears, such as for the date, use the control to enter the information required.

     Tip

     If you begin entering your name in a name placeholder, Word should recognize it from the user name information stored with the app and display a ScreenTip containing your completed name. Press Enter when the ScreenTip appears to have Word insert your name for you.

To insert a text box building block

1. On the Insert tab, in the Text group, select the Text Box button to display the available text box building blocks.

   

   Predefined text boxes share graphic elements with themes

2. Scroll through the gallery to review the available text boxes, and then select the one you want to insert.

The introduction includes a complete list of practice files and download instructions.

1. Apply a solid page background color of your choice.

2. Configure the page background to display a gradient, using any two colors of your choice and the From Center shading.

3. Configure the page background to display the Woven Mat texture.

4. Configure the page background to display the Light Horizontal pattern, using any two colors of your choice.

5. Configure the page background to display the Clouds picture from the practice file folder.

6. Remove the page background.

7. Apply a dark blue, double-line Shadow page border that is ½ pt wide.

8. Save and close the document.

1. Apply the ASAP 2 watermark, and then remove it.

2. Create a text watermark with the text First Draft.

3. Style the watermark with the Century Gothic font and make it red, semitransparent, and horizontal.

4. Remove the watermark.

5. Begin creating a picture watermark.

6. Use the commands in the Insert Pictures dialog box to locate and insert the OTSI-Logo picture from the practice file folder.

7. Select a scale of 500%, select the Washout check box, and select OK.

8. Save and close the document.

1. Move the cursor to the top of the first page after the cover page.

2. Insert a Banded header from the built-in headers menu. Notice that the document title appears in the header automatically.

3. Add a built-in Banded footer. Notice that page numbers appear in the footer automatically, and that page numbering begins on the first page after the cover page.

4. Remove the footer, leaving the header in place.

5. Re-create the footer and, at the left end of the footer, insert a date that will update automatically. Use the date format of your choice.

6. Press the Tab key twice to move the cursor to the right end of the footer, and then add page numbers in the current position in the Large Color style. Notice that the color matches the theme color of the document.

7. In the Close group, select the Close Header and Footer button.

8. Save and close the document.

1. Move the cursor to the top of the document.

2. Add a Banded cover page, click in the Document Title placeholder, and enter Office Procedures.

3. If your name has not been entered automatically in the author placeholder, select the placeholder and enter your name.

4. Click in the Company Name placeholder and enter Consolidated Messenger.

5. Click in the Company Address placeholder and enter 1234 Main Street, New York, NY, 90012.

6. On page 2 of the document, to the left of the Warehouse heading, insert a Banded Quote text box.

7. Click in the placeholder text and type Consolidated Messenger believes in opportunity for all! We are an equal-opportunity employer. Then click anywhere outside the text box building block.

8. Save and close the document.