How do i place a watermark in Pages?

Use the 'show thumbnails' display option. Place your watermark artwork on the first page, send to back, set X% opaque/transparent. Then highlight that page in the thumbnails display down the left side, and CMD-D to duplicate as many pages as you anticipate needing.

The keyword about Section master is section. If you want a watermark on the first page of a document, you give the document a separate section for the watermark, and subsequent sections will not receive that master object, even if you tell them to match previous section. You just need to ensure that the section master object has its opacity dialed down sufficiently (e.g. 15 - 25%) so as to not visually interfere with any text floating above it.

So let's say you want to make a DRAFT watermark that is perfectly centered on the page at a 45 degree angle.

1. In Pages preferences : Rulers panel, select each of the options under alignment guides. Later, when you drag that Text box containing the word DRAFT around in the document, these guides will automatically show you the cross-hairs when the Text box is exactly centered.
2. Insert a Text box and initially enlarge it to both margins and perhaps 1/4 the height of the page.
   1. Click in it, choose your font family's bold face, and increase the font size in the 96 - 106 pt range.

      At this point, and particularly with the word “DRAFT,” it may benefit from some increased font spacing in the Advanced Options gear) menu : Character spacing. Try 15 percent to open it up.

   2. Shrink the dimensions of the Text box to just enclose the watermark text
   3. In the Arrange tab, rotate your Text box by 45 degrees, and drag it around in the center of the document until those dynamic alignment cross-hairs show you center alignment.
3. Now, with the Text box selected, Arrange menu : Section Masters : Move Objects to Section Master

And if your watermark is an image or PDF, you place it where you want, tone done its opacity, and step 3.

Hi Mr H,

You may want to take another look at Nick's question, especially the part where he says,

"I would like to have it only on one page." (Italics mine, underline is Nick's)

Regards,

Barry