I’m trying to use an image as a background watermark for a small card I’m making as a text box in Word 2000. I’m unable to get the picture to show through; it can be either completely obscured by the text, or completely blocking the text. How can I get the image to be in the background?
Or, should I ditch the text box (which I’m using because I need borders, a specific size and odd formatting) and try to do without?
You need to set the image as ‘transparent’, so that instead of the background obscuring the text, it allows the text to show thru. I think you will need to do this in your photo processing program, before you use that image in Word.
Or maybe you can put the text in front, and set it to have a transparent background. I don’t know how to do that in Word. (Or even if it’s possible.)
I’m not sure if Word 2000 does this – 2003 does – but you can use an image as a watermark. Whatever text you use goes right over it. You can adjust the size of the watermark. In 2003, it’s under Format, Background.
If you don’t have the Watermark option in 2000, then you can still have two text boxes: one containing the picture and one on top of it containing the text. You fade the picture in Format, Picture so that it’s a watermark, and you have to make the one with the text No Fill.
You can do it in Word 2003 and I’m pretty sure I’ve done it in 2000. It’s under the Format, Picture menu. (Or Alt-oo)
A cheap-and-nasty way is to make the image part of the header or footer - even if it extends into the page area. You should then be able to type away over it.
Of course you could just position the image normally, right-click it, choose “Format Image”, then “Layout => Behind Text”.
However, if, as it seems, it’s the text box causing the problem, right-click the edge of the text box (i.e. while the cursor is a plus-sign-with-arrows) and choose “Format Text Box…”, then choose “Fill => Color => No Fill”.
Checked – yes, it’s possible in Word 2000. You make a text box, put the picture inside, and then go to Format, Picture and make your transparency adjustments. Make sure you click on the picture inside the text box – not on the text box itself. Otherwise your changes will be to the text box and the picture will stay saturated as normal.
You can do a watermark in 2000 but it goes in the Header/Footer, not in Format, Background, like it is in 2003.
Awesome. I used jjimm’s suggestion of setting the text box to no fill. Worked like a charm.
And, as always, I am amazed by the responses; in both speed and variety of solutions. I love you guys.
I said it first! Me me me!!!
Glad it worked 
works very similarly in word97 as well.