Add a watermark to a PDF
Stamp a word across every page — DRAFT, CONFIDENTIAL, a company name. Set how strongly it shows and whether it runs diagonally or straight.
- Free
- No signup
- Runs in your browser
- Nothing uploaded
or browse your device
Add a watermark to a PDF in three steps
- Add the PDFthe stamp applies to every page.
- Type your text and pick a strengthfaint sits behind the content; strong is unmissable.
- Savethe text becomes part of each page.
What you get
Scales to your text
A single word is drawn large; a longer phrase is sized down to fit the page rather than running off it.
Diagonal or horizontal
Diagonal is the convention for DRAFT and CONFIDENTIAL; horizontal suits a name or a date line.
Three deliberate strengths
Faint for something that shouldn't fight the text, strong for something nobody can claim they missed.
Limits and formats
| Text | Any single line |
|---|---|
| Strengths | Faint, medium, strong |
| Angles | Diagonal (45°) or horizontal |
| Placement | Centered on each page, behind nothing — drawn over the content |
Common questions
Can the watermark be removed by someone else?
It's drawn into the page content rather than added as an annotation, which makes it much harder to strip than a layer-based watermark. It is not tamper-proof — treat it as a clear marking, not a security control.
Can I use an image or logo as the watermark?
Not yet — this tool handles text. Image watermarking is a different job and needs its own positioning controls.
Will it make the file bigger?
Barely. Text is a few bytes per page.
Can I watermark only some pages?
Not in one pass. Split the document, watermark the section, and merge it back.
What strength should I use?
Faint if the document still has to be read comfortably. Strong if the point is that nobody can circulate it as final.
What people do around this step
Circulating a deck
- Add a watermark to a PDFYou are here · mark it as draft or confidential across every slide
- Compress a PDFget it small enough for an inbox
Preparing a signed copy to send
- Sign a PDFdraw or type your signature onto the page
- Add a watermark to a PDFYou are here · mark the status so a draft is not mistaken for final
- Compress a PDFbring the weight down before emailing it
Cleaning a file before you send it
- Edit PDF metadataclear the author field your template filled in years ago
- Add a watermark to a PDFYou are here · mark its status so nobody circulates it as final