You're sending a draft contract for review and don't want it mistaken for the final version, or you're sharing a report outside your company and want every page to say where it came from. Watermark PDF adds a text watermark to every page, in your browser, without changing the rest of the document.
A watermark discourages copying and makes a document's status obvious, but it isn't protection: anyone with PDF editing software can still edit or cover it. To stop people from opening the file at all, use Protect PDF.
Step-by-step
- Open the Watermark PDF tool, or click its card on the home page.
- Click the drop zone or drag in your PDF.
- Type the text in "Watermark text". It starts as CONFIDENTIAL; replace it with DRAFT, COPY, your company name or anything else.
- Choose the "Layout": "Diagonal, centered" crosses the page corner to corner, "Horizontal, centered" runs across the middle, and "Repeated across the page" tiles smaller copies over the whole page.
- Adjust "Font size", "Opacity" and "Color". A long text is scaled down automatically so it fits on the page. An opacity between 15% and 30% keeps the content readable.
- Click "Process now." Your browser downloads watermarked.pdf. Open it and check a page with dense text to make sure it's still easy to read.
Common mistakes
- Treating a watermark as security. It can be edited or covered with PDF software. Use Protect PDF when only certain people should open the file.
- Choosing a high opacity. A strong watermark over text makes the document hard to read. Start low and increase only if needed.
- Watermarking your only copy. Keep the original without a watermark, since the watermark can't be switched off later in an ordinary PDF reader.
- Using a long sentence. Short words like DRAFT or CONFIDENTIAL work best; long texts are shrunk to fit and become small.
FAQ
Can the watermark be removed later?
The watermark is drawn into the content of each page, so it can't be switched off like a layer in an ordinary PDF reader. Someone with PDF editing software can still edit or cover it, so a watermark discourages reuse but isn't a security measure. Keep a copy without the watermark if you'll need a clean version.
Can I write the watermark in any language?
Yes. Text in the Latin alphabet is added as real text. Other scripts, such as Chinese or Arabic, are drawn as a high-resolution transparent image, so they display correctly without embedding a large font in your file.
Does the watermark change the rest of the document?
No. The original pages are kept as they are, with selectable text, links and images. The watermark is only added on top of each page.
Is my file uploaded to add the watermark?
No. The watermark is drawn in your browser with pdf-lib, and the file never leaves your device.
Checklist
- The watermark text says what it should, spelled correctly
- The opacity leaves the content readable
- The layout fits the document: diagonal for a clear status, repeated for sharing outside
- The original file without a watermark is kept
- watermarked.pdf was opened and checked page by page