How to Watermark a PDF a PDF
Need to mark a PDF as DRAFT, CONFIDENTIAL, or add your company name? Here's how to watermark a PDF online for free — no software, no uploads.
What is a PDF watermark?
A watermark is text or an image overlaid on every page of a PDF. Common uses include marking documents as DRAFT, CONFIDENTIAL, or SAMPLE; adding copyright notices; branding documents with a company name; and protecting against unauthorized copying.
How to watermark a PDF online (free)
Go to the Add Watermark tool. Upload your PDF. Enter your watermark text (e.g. DRAFT, CONFIDENTIAL). Adjust font size, opacity, rotation, and position. Click 'Add Watermark' — the processing happens entirely in your browser. Download the watermarked PDF.
What opacity should I use?
For DRAFT or CONFIDENTIAL markings, use 0.2–0.3 (light gray) so the text is visible but doesn't block the underlying content. For branding, use 0.1–0.15 (very subtle). For high-visibility marks like legal notices, use 0.5+.
Should I rotate the watermark?
Diagonal watermarks (-45° or 45°) are the most common because they span the page and are hard to crop out. Horizontal watermarks (0°) are subtler and good for branding. Use 90° for narrow page edge marks.
Does watermarking work on protected PDFs?
No. The tool cannot process password-protected or encrypted PDFs. Remove the password first using a PDF unlocker.
Is watermarking safe?
Yes. The tool runs entirely in your browser. Your file never leaves your device. No uploads, no servers, no logs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use an image instead of text?
Not with this tool — text only. For image watermarks, use a PDF editor like Preview (Mac) or Adobe Acrobat.
Will the watermark be hard to remove?
Text watermarks are part of the page content and can be removed with PDF editors. They deter casual copying but aren't foolproof. For high-security marking, use an image-based watermark or a digital signature.
Can I watermark specific pages only?
This tool watermarks every page. For selective watermarking, extract the pages you want, watermark them, then merge back.