Why am I unable to set a graphic as a page background in writer document or if set it does not stick on reopening?

using Version: 4.3.5.2 in windows 8.1
I am following the instructions for setting a page background exactly.
I select Graphic from the list. Then I click on the browse button an select the graphic (a .jpg file). Sometimes a link check box appears which I check, sometimes just the words “unlinked graphic” appear.
I click apply and close.
Most time nothing changes but occasionally the graphic appears as the background.
I am really frustrated and need to find a way to set a graphic as a page background.

The way to add a background is:

Format > Page > tab Background > As → choose Graphic > Browse to the graphic you want (eg. jpg-file) > Link: you don’t need to link > type → choose the the type you want > preview → check > Apply and you should the background already > OK

If this does not give you the background you want, please describe step by step what you did and what was the result of each step. Ideally even add screenshots.

Just for avoiding misunderstandings by ‘FRESH’ users reading this. The tab 'Background does no longer exist in LibreOffice 4.4.0. There is now a tab ‘Area’ providing access to background setting. This at least on in.

@Lupp - thanks for the information concerning v4.4.0. I haven’t touched yet v4.4. I am using v4.3.5.2. I wonder a bit why “Area” is supposed to be better than “Background”.

Version 5.0.0.5: To me it looks as if graphics (picture, jpg) bacground has been removed totally - there’s only “area: gradient, bmp etc” and no “browse for picture to use as background” if you want to create a page format with your own graphics background (typically kind of light-color fill, eg. gradient with corners, produced by some other program).

With “Area”, there is still no way to use a custom image like “Background” could. Is there any way to use custom images as backgrounds in newer versions of Writer?

Is there no way of using vector images as backgrounds? This is possible in LibreOffice Calc (5.0.3.2), where the user interface still says Background/Graphic rather than Area/Bitmap, as well as in the Writer apps of NeoOffice and OpenOffice (in all cases using WMF/EMF files). Even if a vector background is added using an app that supports it, the background does not show up in LibreOffice Writer. Even if WMF/EMF support is too complicated, an ability to add SVG or Draw graphics would be useful.

Did you actually try it? I want to confirm the answer by @ROSt53 and to add that my few tests led to documents also correctly reloading on open. This will not work if a graphic was imported as link and the document dislocated to anotehr path after closing.

Despite the fact that the offered choice ‘Bitmap’ suggests a tough restriction, other formats for graphics are also accepted vie ‘Import Graphic’. .

I also want to announce that I filed this bug report tdf#96336 concerning the inconsistency of ‘Format’ > ‘Page’ dialogs. You may contribute your experiences there.

Disclaimer: I personally never used background graphic (except for a watermark surrogate in a few cases), and I did not test the variants.