Create a SolidWorks Drawing Watermark

For whatever reason, watermarks are sometimes necessary, even on drawings. Since SolidWorks has no watermark feature, and does not allow the user to change the order of drawing entities, a workaround is necessary. Here’s a method I recently discovered. (I am currently using SolidWorks 2007 SP3.1.)

1. Open the drawing.
2. Edit Sheet Format
3. Use Annotation Note to create and place the text that will become the watermark.
4. Edit the properties of the Note to adjust its font, angle, size, etc as desired.
5. Highlight the Note and change its color using the Line Color function. For best results, assign a very light color to the Note.
6. Right Mouse Button click on the Note and select Make Block and accept.
7. Edit Sheet.

The Note will now appear underneath all other objects on the Drawing Sheet. This tip is based on the SolidWorks Forum discussion which can be found here: http://forum.solidworks.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=6&threadid=1989&enterthread=y

*UPDATE*

I have written an article detailing a more advanced method that will link the text of the watermark directly to a custom property here: Create a SolidWorks Drawing Watermark (with linked value).

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Comments

seems like they should be able to add this since they can add an out of sync watermark.

I’ll add watermarks to pdf versions of the drawings so I don’t have to remove it from each sheet in solidworks.

Another option in 2008 would be to add it as a background image and then print background.

Comment by Josh on December 4, 2007 @ 6:45 am

Yeah, I know. Time to ER it.

Also, I thought about adding the 2008 option, but wasn’t sure if printing the drawing with the background image was possible. Also, the image isn’t carried with the drawing, say if the status changed, you are still stuck with that same image unless you continuously make global changes back and forth.

Comment by fcsuper on December 4, 2007 @ 8:40 am

yeah, the background image would be tedious. 2 orders of drawing watermark please.

Comment by Josh on December 4, 2007 @ 10:55 am

I suppose you could link the dawing watermark to a document property. That might make things a little less tedious

Comment by Albert Whatmough on December 7, 2007 @ 10:59 am

Actually, that too is a good idea.

Comment by fcsuper on December 8, 2007 @ 7:26 am

BTW, thank you to Albert for giving me the idea to figure out a way to link the value of the watermark to a custom property.

Comment by fcsuper on April 24, 2008 @ 9:05 pm

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