Printing Problems

Fix Bear Print or Diagonal Chain Mark When Printing Word Documents

Aamir Naveed Akram Sep 28, 2026 871 views

Question details

Unwanted images like a bear print or diagonal chain appear on printed Word documents despite being invisible in the document editing window.

How to Fix a Bear Print or Diagonal Chain Mark When Printing in Word

Product: Microsoft Word
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Printing a text document where mysterious graphics appear only on the physical paper.
Observed behavior: A diagonal chain or bear image is printed on the physical page, even though the on-screen document window shows no such watermark or background graphic.

Before you start

Before proceeding, try printing a completely new, blank document to determine if the issue is tied to a specific file's background settings or if it affects all print jobs across your device.

Solution 1Recommended

Check and Remove Hidden Watermarks in Word

Use this solution to clear any invisible background objects or watermarks embedded in the document formatting.

Often, documents inherit templates or formatting from other sources that contain watermarks. These marks might be suppressed in the standard editing view but are configured to show up during the printing process.

Open the Design tab

Launch Microsoft Word and open the document experiencing the printing issue. Click on the 'Design' tab located in the top ribbon.

Access Watermark settings

Look for the 'Page Background' group on the right side of the ribbon and click on 'Watermark'.

Remove the watermark

Click on 'Remove Watermark' at the bottom of the drop-down menu. Try printing the document again to see if the mark is gone.

Alternative Method: If the watermark button does not work, double-click the very top of your document page to open the Header & Footer view. From here, you can manually click on the hidden background image and press the Delete key.

Solution 2

Save as PDF to Isolate the Problem

This method helps identify whether the unwanted mark is generated by Word's document settings or your printer's software.

Solution 3

Update or Reinstall Your Printer Driver

Apply this solution if the diagnostic PDF test indicates the printer driver is forcibly injecting the watermark.

WPS Writer Printing Solutions

Easily Manage Watermarks and Print Cleanly with WPS Office

WPS Office offers a streamlined document editor where what you see is exactly what you print. With robust tools for managing page backgrounds and built-in PDF conversion, you can effortlessly prevent unwanted artifacts from ruining your printed pages.

1. Open your document: Launch WPS Writer and open the document that contains the hidden watermark or printing issue.
2. Remove background marks: Navigate to the Insert tab, click on Watermark, and choose Delete Watermark to clear any unwanted embedded graphics.
3. Print or Export safely: Click the Menu button to Print directly, or select Export to PDF to finalize the layout and guarantee a clean printout.

Highly compatible with Microsoft Word (.docx) formats.Intuitive tools to view, insert, or remove hidden watermarks.Built-in PDF exporter ensures accurate and glitch-free print layouts.Lightweight and completely free to use for daily document tasks.

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does a watermark print when it is not visible on my screen?

This usually happens because the document view mode is set to hide background graphics to save system resources, while the 'Print background colors and images' setting remains active in your print options. It can also occur if a watermark is embedded in the document's header.

What if clicking 'Remove Watermark' does nothing?

Sometimes an image acts like a watermark but was manually pasted into the document header instead of using the watermark tool. To fix this, double-click the top margin of your page to open the Header & Footer tools, click on the unwanted image, and press the Delete key.

Could my printer be adding the bear print or chain mark automatically?

Yes. Some third-party printer drivers have their own watermark or overlay settings independent of your word processor. If exporting the document to PDF and printing it from a different application still produces the mark, you need to check your printer properties or update the driver.

Document & File Issues