How to add a watermark to a PDF
A watermark stamps semi-transparent text or an image in the middle of every page. Use it to make clear a document is a draft, that it is confidential, who a copy was sent to, or who owns a catalogue or portfolio.
You can use text such as CONFIDENTIAL or COPY, or upload your logo as JPG, PNG or WebP. A PNG with a transparent background looks much cleaner than a JPG with a white box.
Step by step
- Upload your PDF, or several if they all get the same watermark.
- Type the watermark text, or switch on the image option and choose your logo.
- Adjust opacity and rotation angle; the starting point is a light diagonal mark.
- Process and download the watermarked PDF.
Getting opacity and angle right
A watermark should be visible without getting in the way of reading. For text documents a low opacity, around 15 to 30 %, usually works; photos or drawings with busy backgrounds may need a bit more. A diagonal angle makes it harder to crop the mark out of a screenshot without it showing.
The mark is centred on each page and adapts to each page's size, so documents that mix portrait and landscape pages are handled.
What a watermark does not do
The watermark is added as a layer on top of the original content, which stays untouched underneath; the text is still selectable. It is a visible signal, not protection. To stop people opening the file, add a password with Protect PDF; to remove information, use Redact PDF.
If you send the same document to several people, a watermark with the recipient's name ('Copy for…') helps trace where a leak came from.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I use my logo as a watermark?
- Yes. Switch on the image option and upload a JPG, PNG or WebP. A transparent PNG gives the best result.
- How do I make the watermark more subtle?
- Lower the opacity. It starts at 25 % and you can go lower or higher depending on the document.
- Can the watermark be horizontal?
- Yes, set the angle to 0°. You can also rotate it to any direction.
- Can a watermark be removed?
- It is a layer added over the pages, so a PDF editor could take it off. Treat it as a visible notice, not security.
- Does it work with several PDFs at once?
- Yes. The same watermark is applied to every file and you download them all in a ZIP.