How to remove/hide page number watermark in Excel?
Hide page number watermark with Normal view
Insert or remove watermark with Kutools for Excel
Comparison of Page Number Display and Custom Watermarks in Excel
The large page numbers shown in Excel's Page Break Preview are not actual watermarks inserted into the worksheet. They are part of the Page Break Preview display. If you want to hide these page numbers, simply switch back to Normal view. For actual picture or text watermarks, Kutools for Excel provides dedicated tools to insert and remove them.
| Comparison | Page Numbers in Page Break Preview | Kutools Custom Watermark |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A built-in visual indicator that identifies pages while working in Page Break Preview | A picture or formatted text watermark intentionally added to the worksheet |
| How to hide / remove | Switch from Page Break Preview to Normal view through View > Normal or the Normal button on the status bar | Use Kutools > Delete > Delete Watermark to remove a watermark inserted with Kutools |
| Effect | Only changes the worksheet view; no worksheet content or actual watermark is deleted | Removes the custom watermark that was added to the worksheet |
| Best for | Hiding the large Page 1, Page 2, and other page indicators while editing a worksheet | Adding or removing actual picture or text watermarks such as CONFIDENTIAL, DRAFT, or a company logo |
Hide page number watermark with Normal view
If you just want to hide the page number watermark, you only need to switch Page Break Preview to Normal View.
Click View > Normal, and then the page number watermark is hidden.
Also, you can click Normal button in the status bar to quickly switch to Normal view.
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Insert or remove watermark with Kutools for Excel
Have you ever confused with inserting watermark in a sheet? If you have Kutools for Excel – a handy tool, you can quickly insert watermark as you need.
After free downloading and installing Kutools for Excel, please do as below:
1. Click Kutools > Insert > Insert Watermark. See screenshot:
2. In the Insert Watermark dialog, you can specify insert picture watermark from a folder or text watermark with formatting you need. See screenshot:
3. Click Ok or Apply, the watermark has been inserted in the current sheet.
To remove the watermark you inserted by Kutools for Excel, you just need to click Kutools > Delete > Delete Watermark. See screenshot:
Conclusion
If you see large Page 1, Page 2, or similar page numbers behind your worksheet data, there is no watermark to delete. These numbers appear because the worksheet is displayed in Page Break Preview. Switch to Normal view to hide them immediately without changing any worksheet content.
Kutools for Excel's watermark tools serve a different purpose. Insert Watermark lets you add a picture watermark or formatted text watermark to the current worksheet, while Delete Watermark removes a watermark previously inserted with Kutools. These tools are useful for managing actual worksheet watermarks rather than the page numbers displayed by Page Break Preview.
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