Printing a Background Using Word 2007

Adding a background to your Word 2007 document can be a fairly easy task, yet printing a background using Word 2007 can be frustrating and confusing. During our normal word-processing tasks, a background is rarely needed, so it is a feature of Word 2007 that is often ignored.

When we do decide to add a background to our Word 2007 document, we should ask ourselves if it will enhance the overall appearance of the document and will it be worth the additional ink. If the answer is yes to both of those questions, then you will need to know not only how to add a background, but how to tell the program to print the background.

At the top of the Word 2007 screen you will see the ribbon with various tabs. To add a background, click on the "Page Layout" tab. You will see various commands; Themes, Page Setup, Page Background, Paragraph and Arrange. You want to focus on the table with the commands for Page Background. There you will see several options; Watermark, Page Color and Page Borders.

When you choose Watermark, you have the option of adding image as your background. You also have the option to stretch the image across your page, or tile it. You also have the option of having the image appear washed out or muted, by clicking the Washout box. If you want the image to appear on the page in its full vibrant color, then un-check the box.

If it is a color you want for your background, you can use the Page Color choice. That tab offers a choice of Fill Effects, which allows you to choose a texture, design, image, or create something unique. The best way to learn is to simply go in and experiment. Play around with the various choices and have fun!

While adding a background color or image to your Word 2007 page is fairly straightforward, getting it to print can be the frustrating part. The trick is to tell your Word 2007 that you want to print the background. To do this, you will need to set your Word Options.

To set your Word Options to allow your background image or background color to print in Word 2007, click on the OFFICE BUTTON, which is located in the far left hand, top corner of your screen. A drop-down menu will appear, giving you various print and save options. At the bottom of that drop-down menu, click on WORD OPTIONS, which is next to EXIT WORD.

A new menu will pop up. Click on DISPLAY. There will be various commands on the DISPLAY window, one is PRINTING OPTIONS. Under PRINTING OPTIONS check the box that says PRINT BACKGROUND COLORS AND IMAGES. If this box is not checked, the background will not appear when you are doing a print preview or actually printing the page. After you make your setting, click OK and the menu will close.

Background images and colors will not extend to the far edges of your paper, there will always be a margin around your page, due to printer constraints. Adding background colors and images work well when creating flyers and photo pages with Word 2007.

But remember, always ask yourself...is it work the extra ink??