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How to add a watermark to a PDF

Mark drafts as DRAFT, contracts as CONFIDENTIAL or brand every page with your logo. You see the watermark on the pages while you adjust it, and the saved PDF looks exactly the same.

Do it now in the free PDF editorOpens in your browser. No sign-up, no watermark — your PDF is never uploaded.
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Add a watermark in four steps

  1. Open the PDF editor and choose your PDF.
  2. Click Watermark in the toolbar. A panel opens next to the pages.
  3. Type the text or pick an image, then set the style, angle, position and the pages it should appear on.
  4. Click Apply, then Download to save the watermarked PDF.

See how it works

A diagonal DRAFT watermark previewed on a contract, with the watermark panel open next to the page
  1. Click Watermark
  2. Pick a label or type your own
  3. Set the angle, then the position and pages below
  4. Click Apply

Text watermarks

Pick a ready-made label such as CONFIDENTIAL, DRAFT, COPY, SAMPLE, APPROVED or DO NOT COPY, or type your own text, for example a company name or “Prepared for Emily Carter”. Choose any of the editor fonts, bold or italic, a color and a size. The default is a large red diagonal label at 25% opacity, which is clearly visible but keeps the page readable.

Angle, position and tiling

  • Choose 0°, 45°, 90° or −45°, or type any angle.
  • Place a single watermark in one of nine spots: the corners, the edges or the center. It keeps a margin from the page edge even when rotated.
  • Turn on Repeat across the page to repeat the watermark across the whole page in a staggered pattern. This makes it hard to crop out of a screenshot or a printout.

Rotated and mixed-size pages

The watermark is laid out on each page as you see it. Landscape pages, pages you rotated in the editor and pages that were already rotated in the original file all get an upright watermark in the right spot, scaled to that page.

Sharing a document for review? Combine a light DRAFT watermark with highlights and text comments, then remove the watermark with one click when the final version is ready.

Frequently asked questions

Can I put the watermark on some pages only?

Yes. Choose All pages, Odd pages, Even pages or Custom range. For a custom range, type pages and ranges such as 1-3, 5, 8- (an open range runs to the last page). The panel shows how many pages the watermark will be added to.

Can I use my logo as a watermark?

Yes. Switch to the Image tab and choose a PNG, JPG, HEIC or WebP file. Transparent PNG logos work best. Set its size as a share of the page width and lower the opacity so the page stays readable.

What does “Behind page content” do?

By default the watermark is drawn on top of the page. With Behind page content it is placed under the text and images, like printed letterhead, so it never covers the words. On scanned pages, which are one big image, a watermark behind the content is hidden by the scan, so keep it on top there.

Can I change or remove the watermark later?

Yes, until you download. Click Watermark again to adjust it or click Remove. Ctrl+Z undoes the last watermark change. In the downloaded PDF the watermark becomes part of the page content.

Is my PDF uploaded anywhere?

No. The watermark is added in your browser and the file never leaves your device.

Ready to try it?Drop your PDF into the editor and download the result in seconds.
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