%% 
%%  An UIT Edition example
%% 
%%  Example 04-20-5 on page 124.
%% 
%%  Copyright (C) 2012 Vo\ss 
%% 
%%  It may be distributed and/or modified under the conditions
%%  of the LaTeX Project Public License, either version 1.3
%%  of this license or (at your option) any later version.
%% 
%%  See http://www.latex-project.org/lppl.txt for details.
%% 

% Show page(s) 1,2,3

%% ==== 
\PassOptionsToClass{}{beamer}
\documentclass{exabeamer}
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}

%\StartShownPreambleCommands
\usepackage{beamerthemeDresden} \usepackage{beamerouterthemesidebar}
\usepackage{beamercolorthemedove}
%\StopShownPreambleCommands

\begin{document}
\section{The canvas}
\setbeamertemplate{background canvas}{\put(120,-230){\rotatebox{45}{%
    \scalebox{5}{\textcolor{gray!20}{DRAFT}}}}}
\begin{frame}{The background canvas}
A background text, which will appear on the slides until it is redefined.
\end{frame}

\section{The background}
\setbeamertemplate{background}[grid][step=0.5cm,color=red!20]
\begin{frame}{The background}
  The second and third slide with a grid.
\end{frame}

\section{Shaded canvas}
\setbeamertemplate{background canvas}[vertical shading][top=blue!25,bottom=red!40]
\setbeamercolor{normal text}{fg=red} \usebeamercolor[fg]{normal text}
\begin{frame}{Background with a gradient}{Gradient from blue to red}
The background contains a gradient.
\end{frame}
\end{document}