Add Watermark to PDF

Add watermark to PDF — free, online, no upload

Add a text watermark to your PDF for branding, confidentiality marking, or draft labeling. This tool stamps your custom text diagonally across every page with adjustable size, opacity, and angle. All processing stays in your browser — no upload to any server.

Common watermark use cases

• CONFIDENTIAL — mark internal documents before sharing externally.
• DRAFT — clearly label work-in-progress versions.
• Company name — brand your PDFs before sending to clients.
• DO NOT COPY — discourage unauthorized redistribution.
• Your name/email — watermark portfolios and creative work.

How it works

1. Upload your PDF.
2. Enter your watermark text, adjust size (12-144pt), opacity (5-50%), and angle (-90° to 90°).
3. Click Add Watermark.
4. Download the watermarked PDF.

Privacy

Your PDF never leaves your browser. All watermarking is done locally using pdf-lib. Safe for sensitive and confidential documents.

Why watermark a PDF

Watermarks signal status (DRAFT, CONFIDENTIAL, INTERNAL ONLY), ownership (your company name or logo), or copyright (© 2026 …). Adding the watermark inside the PDF means every reader sees it, every print copy carries it, and casual screenshots remain attributable to you. Adding it as an overlay outside the document is fragile because the recipient can simply strip it.

Text or image watermarks

This tool supports both text watermarks (set your own message, font size, color, opacity, rotation angle, and position) and image watermarks (upload a logo PNG with transparency for a more polished, branded effect). Apply to every page, or only specific pages.

Use cases

• Draft markers — large diagonal DRAFT or WORK IN PROGRESS across every page during review.
• Brand stamping — your logo subtly in the corner of every proposal or whitepaper you send.
• Copy protection — visible CONFIDENTIAL or NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION on legal or financial reports.
• Sample previews — DEMO or SAMPLE across pages of a paid template before purchase.
• Author attribution — academic photo credits or your own copyright notice.

Watermark design tips

• Use 20–40% opacity so the watermark is visible without obscuring text.
• Diagonal (45°) text watermarks are harder to crop out than horizontal ones.
• For logos, keep the file under 200 KB and at least 600 px wide for sharp print rendering.

Mark before you send: watermarking as the pre-delivery step

Watermarks belong near the end of the workflow — after the document is fully assembled and formatted, but before protecting or compressing for delivery. Watermark after merging, after adding page numbers, and before encrypting: the watermark is then embedded in the shared document and cannot be removed without the password. For draft review copies, watermark the draft version; produce the final clean version separately and watermark that with a different mark before formal release.

• Protect PDF — Encrypt after watermarking so the stamp is locked into the document and cannot be removed without the password.
• Add Page Numbers — Number before watermarking — the page structure should be final before you stamp it.
• PDF Merger — Assemble all components before stamping — merging after watermarking would apply the watermark only to some pages.
• PDF Compressor — Compress after watermarking before sending. Text watermarks add minimal file size; image watermarks compress well in rasterized mode.
• Rotate PDF — Fix page orientation before watermarking so diagonal text stamps align to the correct axis on every page.
• PDF Metadata Editor — Clean author and title metadata before public release of a watermarked document.
• Unlock PDF — Unlock password-protected source files before watermarking. Re-protect after stamping to lock in the mark.
• PDF to JPG — Render watermarked pages as preview thumbnails for websites or galleries that need an image version.

Related tools

People using this tool often also use Protect PDF, Add Page Numbers to PDF, Rotate PDF, and PDF Metadata Editor.