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Watermark a PDF

Stamp text across every page — DRAFT, CONFIDENTIAL, or whatever the document needs. Nothing is uploaded.

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Why use this tool

  • No file size limit

    Full-size photos straight from your phone or camera.

  • Nothing is uploaded

    Processed entirely in your browser. Your files never leave your device.

  • No signup needed

    Open the tool and go. No account, no email.

A watermark says something about the document that the document itself does not. That it is a draft and should not be quoted. That it is confidential and should not be forwarded. That it is a copy rather than the executed original.

The point is that it survives being passed on. A note in an email is lost the moment the attachment is saved somewhere else; a word across the page travels with the file.

How to watermark a PDF

  1. Add your PDF

    Drop it on the box above, or click to pick it. The page count appears straight away.

  2. Type the text

    CONFIDENTIAL is there to start with. Replace it with anything — DRAFT, a company name, a date, a case reference.

  3. Choose the look

    Diagonal, centred or along the bottom, and how strong it should be. Then add the watermark and download.

Choosing the placement

Diagonal is the classic. The text runs corner to corner, which is hard to crop out and hard to miss, and it is what people expect from DRAFT or CONFIDENTIAL.

Centred sets the text flat across the middle of the page. It reads more easily than the diagonal and suits a short word or a reference number that someone may actually need to read rather than simply notice.

Along the bottom is the quietest option: a line near the foot of every page, in the way a footer would be. It marks a document without competing with its contents.

Getting the opacity right

A watermark has one job and one hazard: it has to be noticed, without making the document unreadable. Somewhere around a quarter opacity is the usual balance — visible at a glance, still transparent enough to read through.

Turn it up for a document that must not be mistaken for the final version. Turn it down for something people have to work with for an hour, where a heavy stamp becomes exhausting.

It is worth remembering that a watermark looks different on paper than on screen. If the document will be printed, err slightly stronger than looks right on a bright monitor.

What a watermark is and is not

The text is drawn on top of the page, scaled to fit the page it lands on, so it reads the same on A4 and on a wide landscape scan rather than being set at one fixed size.

It is a mark, not a protection. Anyone determined enough can remove it with the right software, and it does not stop copying, printing or forwarding. Treat it as a label that travels with the document, not as security.

It also cannot be undone here: once added, the text is part of the page. Keep the original if you will need a clean copy later.

Choosing a placement

What each option looks like on the page.

PlacementLooks likeBest for
DiagonalCorner to corner across the pageDRAFT, CONFIDENTIAL, anything that must not be missed
CentredFlat across the middleA short word or reference someone needs to read
Along the bottomA line near the foot of the pageMarking a document discreetly, like a footer

When people watermark a PDF

  • A draft sent for comment

    Marked DRAFT so nobody quotes it as final or circulates it as agreed.

  • A confidential report

    Stamped so its status is obvious on any page, however it was forwarded.

  • A copy of a signed agreement

    Marked COPY so it is not mistaken for the executed original.

  • Work sent to a client for review

    A studio name across sample pages, before the final files are handed over.

Frequently asked questions

Is my PDF uploaded?
No. The watermark is drawn in your browser, on your own device. The file never reaches a server, so there is nothing to delete afterwards.
Can I use my own text?
Yes. CONFIDENTIAL is only a starting point — type anything up to sixty characters, such as a company name, a date or a case reference.
What opacity should I choose?
Around a quarter is the usual balance: clearly visible, still readable through. Go stronger for something that must not be mistaken for final, lighter for a document people will read for a long time.
Does the watermark go on every page?
Yes, on all of them, scaled to fit whatever size each page is.
Can I put an image or logo instead of text?
Not in this tool — it stamps text only. An image watermark would need a different kind of editor.
Can I remove the watermark later?
Not here. Once added, the text is part of the page, so keep the original file if you may need a clean copy.
Does a watermark protect the document?
No. It is a label, not security. It does not prevent copying, printing or forwarding, and determined software can remove it.
Can I watermark a password-protected PDF?
No. An encrypted PDF cannot be opened here. Remove the password in the application that created it first.

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