Add a watermark to a PDF for free

How it works

1. 1

   Upload the PDF you want to mark.

2. 2

   Enter the watermark text and adjust size, rotation, colour and opacity.

3. 3

   Choose a single centred mark or tick the option to tile it across the page.

4. 4

   Apply it and download the watermarked PDF.

About the Watermark PDF

A visible watermark tells anyone who opens a document that it is a draft, confidential or a sample, and it travels with every printed copy. This tool stamps a line of text of your choice onto each page of a PDF, either once in the middle or repeated as a pattern across the page. Size, colour, angle and transparency are all adjustable, and the stamping happens in your browser.

What you can do

• Type any watermark text, such as CONFIDENTIAL, DRAFT, a company name or a client reference.
• Set the font size from 8 to 120 points and the angle anywhere from -180° to 180°.
• Pick any colour and an opacity between 5% and 100%, so the mark can be faint or bold.
• Tick Repeat watermark across the whole page to tile the text in a grid instead of placing it once.
• Lower the opacity so the text under the mark stays readable, or raise it so the stamp cannot be ignored on screen or paper.
• The same settings apply to every page, so a 200-page manual is marked as quickly as a single sheet.

When it works best

• Sending a draft contract or proposal that should not be mistaken for the signed version.
• Sharing sample chapters, price lists or design proofs that you do not want reused as-is.
• Marking a copy of an ID or bank statement with who it was sent to and why.
• Labelling internal training material or exam papers so leaked copies can be recognised at a glance.

Things to know

• The text is drawn in Helvetica Bold, which covers basic Latin characters; accented or non-Latin scripts may fail to stamp.
• The watermark is added on top of the page as ordinary content. It deters casual reuse, but someone with a PDF editor can still remove it.
• Every page gets the same mark; there is no option to skip pages or use an image logo here. For a logo on each page, use the PDF Editor.
• Your PDF stays on your device the whole time.
• A tiled watermark with high opacity can make small print hard to read; preview the downloaded file and lower the opacity if needed.

Frequently asked questions