PDF watermark

Watermark a PDF — stamp “DRAFT” or your name on every page

Add a diagonal text watermark (for example, DRAFT, CONFIDENTIAL, or your name) across each page. Processing happens locally in your browser—no upload required.

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Tip: 36–64 works well on A4/Letter.
Lower opacity keeps text readable underneath.
Choose a PDF, set options, then apply watermark.

Best practice notes

  • Use watermark for drafts: add DRAFT/CONFIDENTIAL before sharing early versions.
  • Do not rely on watermark for access control: a watermark does not encrypt or restrict copying.
  • Submit clean copies: many portals and reviewers prefer no watermark unless required.
  • After watermarking: if your file becomes large, use Compress PDF.

Watermark PDF: Add Text Watermarks to PDF Documents

Watermarks protect confidential documents from unauthorised redistribution, mark draft versions clearly, and brand PDFs before sharing externally. This tool adds fully customisable text watermarks to every page of your PDF — locally in your browser with no server upload.

How to watermark a PDF

  1. Upload your PDF.
  2. Enter your watermark text — e.g. "CONFIDENTIAL", "DRAFT", "NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION", or your company name.
  3. Adjust font size, opacity, angle, and position.
  4. Click Apply Watermark and download the protected PDF.

Common use cases

Frequently asked questions

Can the watermark be removed?
A flat text watermark baked into the PDF is difficult to remove without visible damage to the underlying content. PDF editing software can remove some watermarks, but a well-placed, semi-transparent watermark across the body text is the most resistant option.
Can I watermark only specific pages?
The tool applies the watermark to all pages by default. For selective watermarking, extract the relevant pages first using Extract Pages, watermark them, then merge back with the originals.
Is my PDF kept private?
Yes — all processing runs locally in your browser. Your document is never uploaded to our servers.

Related tools

Choosing the right watermark settings

The effectiveness of a watermark depends on placement, opacity, and text choice. A watermark that is too faint is easy to overlook or remove digitally; one that is too opaque makes the underlying document hard to read. The goal is visibility without obscuring important content.

Opacity: 20–40% opacity is suitable for documents where readability matters — contracts, reports, academic submissions. 50–70% is better for draft documents where you want to prevent the content being used as if it were final. Full opacity is appropriate only for "VOID" or "CANCELLED" stamps on invalid documents.

Position: Centre-of-page diagonal watermarks are hardest to remove because they cross over important content throughout the document. Corner watermarks are easiest to crop out. For maximum deterrence, use a diagonal watermark running from corner to corner across the full page.

Text choice: Common watermark text includes: CONFIDENTIAL, DRAFT, SAMPLE, NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION, FOR REVIEW ONLY, COPY, and VOID. For personalised tracking (to identify which recipient shared a document), include the recipient's name and date: "Sent to [Name] on [Date]".

Watermarking for professional contexts

Legal and compliance: Law firms watermark privileged communications before discovery. Academic researchers watermark preprints shared with peer reviewers with "PREPUBLICATION DRAFT — DO NOT CITE". Business proposals marked CONFIDENTIAL signal that pricing and strategic information should not be shared externally.

Digital vs visual watermarks: Visual watermarks (like those this tool creates) are immediately visible and serve as deterrents. Digital steganographic watermarks are invisible markers in the file data. For most practical purposes — drafts, confidential documents, client materials — a visible watermark is more effective because it communicates intent clearly to human readers.