Excel 2013 Print Preview Shows Ghost Image: How to Add Watermarks and Keep Your Documents Confidential

When working on confidential documents or sensitive information in Microsoft Excel 2013, it's essential to ensure that the contents remain private. One way to achieve this is by adding a watermark to your worksheet. A watermark can be a text or image that overlays the original data, serving as a warning to unauthorized individuals not to share the document.

In this article, we'll explore how to add watermarks in Excel 2013, specifically focusing on the issue of the print preview showing ghost images. We'll also provide pre-built templates for DRAFT and CONFIDENTIAL watermarks that you can easily access and apply to your worksheets.

To start, open your Excel worksheet and navigate to the Insert tab in the ribbon. In the Text group, click on Header & Footer. This will allow you to specify where you want to save the picture of your watermark. Right-click on the DRAFT or CONFIDENTIAL text and select Save Target As from the shortcut menu.

Once you've saved the watermarks, you can access them by following the steps below the graphic. For those who are new to adding watermarks in Excel, we've created two pre-built templates that you can use right away: a DRAFT watermark and a CONFIDENTIAL watermark.

To add a watermark, simply insert a PNG graphic file into the header of your worksheet. The image will display as a watermark, allowing you to quickly identify sensitive information. For instance, if you're working on a budget in Excel and need to solicit input from staff members, adding a DRAFT watermark can help keep the document's contents private until it's ready for review.

One common issue that arises when using watermarks is the ghost image problem in print preview. This occurs when the watermark is not properly aligned or positioned, causing it to appear as a faint image on your printed pages. To avoid this, make sure to position the watermark correctly and adjust its opacity accordingly.

In conclusion, adding watermarks to your Excel 2013 worksheets is a simple yet effective way to protect confidential information. By following these steps and using pre-built templates like DRAFT and CONFIDENTIAL, you can ensure that your documents remain private and secure.

Excel 2013 print preview shows ghost image