Printers: Creating and Using Watermarks for your Print-Outs

The following advice has been generated for use with most HP (Hewlett Packard) printers. Some printers may not have this functionality or may require a slightly different procedure.

How do I add a watermark to my printout?

If you think the watermark you require may already exist as a template, simply:

1. Select “Print” from within the application you are using,
2. Select “Printer properties”, Select the “Effects” tab.
3. Select the required Watermark from the dropdown box.

If the watermark you would like to use does not exist then follow the instructions below on how to create a custom watermark.

How do I create a custom watermark which I can add to my printouts?

1. First you need to open the “Devices and Printers” folder on your computer
• If using Windows 8, the easiest way is to do this is to go to the Metro screen and just start typing “Printers”. You should then be able to select “Devices and Printers” from the right of the screen.
• In older versions you can find the Devices and Printers folder in the Control Panel.
2. Right-click the printer you will be printing to and select “Printer Properties”.
• The next step may depend on the printer that you are printing to, but for most HP printers, will be as follows:
3. Select the “Preferences” button from the “General” tab.
4. On the “Effects” tab, select the “Edit” button in the Watermarks section.
5. You can then select “New”, type in your required text and select any option you require for colour and orientation etc.
• Once you have accepted all your changes, you can return to the document you wish to print.
6. Select “Print”.
7. Select “Printer Properties” and select the watermark of your choice from the dropdown box on the “Effects” tab.