Add Watermark to PDF
Stamp text or an image across every page.
About Add Watermark to PDF
Overlay a text or image watermark with control over rotation, opacity, size, colour, position and which pages it applies to. Live preview shows exactly what you will get.
A watermark marks a draft as a draft and puts your name on work that will circulate. It is a deterrent and an attribution mark rather than a protection, and it is worth being clear about which of those you are getting.
Text or image, with control over rotation, opacity, size, colour and position.
- Processed on your deviceEverything you open or type here is handled by this page and never uploaded anywhere.
- No queue, no limitsNothing waits on a server, so the only limit is your own hardware.
- No account neededNo sign-up and no email address required.
How Add Watermark to PDF works in your browser
A PDF page is a list of drawing instructions, and the watermark is appended to that list with pdf-lib. It becomes part of the page in the same way the body text is part of the page, which is why it survives printing, screenshotting and conversion to images — nothing about it is an overlay applied by the reader.
It is also why a watermark is not security. Instructions that were added can be found and removed, and the page underneath was never altered; it was drawn over. The words beneath a watermark remain fully selectable and extractable.
Opacity is the whole design problem. Too faint and it vanishes in print; too strong and it interferes with reading, which is what sends people looking for a way to strip it. Somewhere around 15 to 25 per cent works for most documents, and it should be checked on the densest page rather than the title page.
When to use it
Marking a document DRAFT so it does not get quoted as final. Putting a recipient’s name on each copy of a document sent to several people, so forwarding is traceable. Adding a company mark to a proposal that will be passed around. Labelling a specimen or sample so it cannot be mistaken for the real thing.
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Frequently asked questions
Can I see the watermark before applying it?
Yes. Rotation, opacity, size, colour and position update in a live preview, so you can place it without exporting repeatedly to check.
Can I watermark only some pages?
Yes. Choose which pages it applies to — useful for stamping DRAFT on a body of work while leaving the cover clean.
Can I use my logo instead of text?
Yes. An image watermark works the same way, with the same control over size, opacity and placement.