Question about background images

[widget311]

Hey guys. I'm having trouble creating a document template for a client.
They want me to send them a Word template that has a jpg I created in
Photoshop in the background. They want it set up so that they can go in
and use this document as a template, inserting their own text. They
want it so every page in the document (the first page and any new pages
that are addded) automatically has this same image as the background.
It's like a Master page in Quark or InDesign, but in Word. I can do
this in my sleep in Quark or InDesign, but can't figure it out in Word.

Two problems I'm having:
1. When I use Background > Fill Effects > Picture > Select Picture to
choose the background image, the image is HUGE when placed in the
document. It's much larger than the page size (8.5" x 11") and bleeds
off all the edges. I can't find any way to edit it once I place it
using the above steps. The image is exactly the right size (8.5" x 11")
at 150 dpi. I really don't want to go any lower in resolution else it
will get quite fuzzy when printed out.
2. Once I get #1 figured out, how do I make it so that every new page
Word creates automatically has this same background on it?

Thanks for the help!

 

[Daiya Mitchell]

Don't use the Background feature, cause that's only for Web pages, despite
the lack of any information mentioning that (unless you check Help, who does
that).

What you want to do is open up a new doc. File | Save As Template. Then
View | Header/Footer, and with the cursor in the header or footer, insert
the graphic.

Once inserted, bring up Format Picture (double click graphic or right-click)
and set the Layout to Behind Text (which will let text flow over it). Once
it is behind text, you can drag it to wherever you want if the position
needs changing.

If you click ¶ on the standard toolbar, and select the picture, you will see
an anchor symbol in the margin of the header--that's the anchor for the
picture. Anything in the header or footer will repeat as every page as new
pages are created.

While you can edit pictures in Word, it's not really a good idea, and it
sounds like you shouldn't have to. Word doesn't like to run stuff all the
way to the edge of the paper, though, so that may not work out in print.
Not sure.

A caveat--if they turn on First Page Header, the graphic will vanish from
the first page, because it is anchored in the regular header, not the first
page header. They will probably then complain. So you might want to turn on
First Page header, copy the picture into it, then turn First Page back off
(by toggling the 1 on the header/footer toolbar). I'm guessing the chances
of them adding text in a first page header are pretty high, as this sounds
like letterhead?

The same caveat also applies to Even and Odd Headers, but those are not used
quite as frequently, though you could set them up if you wanted to. Not
quite sure what this does to document size.

 

[widget311]

Excellent! The image is copied from page to page. Thank you so much
Daiya! Another question, though, real quick:

When I add the image in the Header, and toggle off the Header and
Footer view, the background image becomes semi-transparent. Is there
any way to avoid this? When I am in Header and Footer view it is fine,
but in normal view it becomes difficult to see.

Any suggestions?

 

[PhilD]

When I add the image in the Header, and toggle off the Header and
Footer view, the background image becomes semi-transparent. Is there
any way to avoid this? When I am in Header and Footer view it is fine,
but in normal view it becomes difficult to see.

You probably know this already, but just in case you don't, or if other
people need to know:

That is a feature of the software. You aren't in the header any more,
so the contents of the header is dimmed so that you can concentrate on
the main body of the text. Just the same as, when you go to the
header/footer view, the main body text dims. They print the same, it's
just a way of helping you focus on the right thing on screen.

PhilD