How to Remove Watermark in Excel

Watermarks in Excel can sometimes appear as background text or images, often added for branding or to mark a document as confidential or a draft. However, they can make your worksheet harder to read or print clearly. Understanding how to remove watermark in Excel helps you clean up your spreadsheet and improve its presentation. The process depends on how the watermark was added, but it is usually easy to remove once identified.

1. Table of Contents

   Toggle

   Check Header and Footer Section

In Excel, many watermarks are added through the header or footer as images or text. To remove them, go to the Insert tab and click on Header & Footer.

Click on the header or footer area where the watermark appears, then select and delete it.

• Look for faint text or images
• Click directly on the watermark area
• Press delete to remove it

2. Remove Background Image

Sometimes, a watermark is set as a sheet background. To remove it, go to the Page Layout tab and click on Delete Background.

This will instantly remove any image used as a watermark.

• Check the Page Layout tab
• Use the Delete Background option
• Confirm the change

3. Use Page Break Preview

Switching to Page Break Preview can help you identify hidden elements that look like watermarks.

Go to the View tab and select Page Break Preview, then locate and remove any unwanted text or objects.

• Helps reveal hidden items
• Locate faint or repeated text
• Delete unnecessary elements

4. Remove Text Boxes or Shapes

In some cases, the watermark may be a text box or shape placed over the worksheet.

Click on the object to select it, then press delete to remove it from the sheet.

• Click around the worksheet to find objects
• Select the watermark text box
• Delete it carefully

5. Check Print Settings

Sometimes what appears as a watermark only shows when printing. Go to File, then Print, and review the preview.

Adjust settings or remove headers if needed to ensure a clean output.

• Check print preview carefully
• Adjust layout settings
• Ensure no watermark appears before printing

Also Read: How to Remove Password from iPhone