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Add Watermark to PDF

Add a watermark to a PDF — text or your logo — without uploading it. Set the size, color, opacity and angle, put it in the center, a corner or tiled across the page, and download the watermarked copy.

How it works

Watermarking a PDF

Open the PDF. It's read on your device, and the first pages are drawn with PDF.js for the preview.
Type the text or choose a PNG or JPG, then set the size, color, opacity and angle.
Place it in the center, in a corner, or tiled in rows across the page, above or behind the content, on all pages or a range.
Download. The watermark is written onto the original pages with pdf-lib and the file is saved as name-watermarked.pdf.

What ends up in the file

Text watermarks are real text in Helvetica or Helvetica Bold, with transparency set in the PDF — not a picture of text.
Image watermarks are embedded once and reused on every page, so a logo on 200 pages doesn't make the file 200 times bigger.
The original pages aren't redrawn or turned into pictures — text stays selectable.
Rotated pages and pages whose page box doesn't start at the corner are handled, so the watermark sits upright where the preview shows it.

Limitations, plainly

Not a lock: a watermark can be removed by someone with a PDF editor. Use Protect PDF as well if changes must be prevented.
Behind the content only shows through where the page is transparent. Scans and pages with a white background box hide it.
Font: text watermarks use Helvetica, which covers Western European letters. Other characters show as “?” (you'll see a warning first) — use an image watermark for other scripts.
Password-protected PDFs can't be opened here. Remove the password with Unlock PDF first.
Digitally signed PDFs: adding a watermark changes the file, so an existing certificate signature will show as invalid.
Up to 200 MB and 5,000 pages; very large files may be slow on phones.

Frequently asked questions

Is my PDF uploaded anywhere?+

No. The PDF and your logo are opened, previewed and watermarked entirely in your browser, and the watermarked copy is saved straight to your device. Nothing is sent to a server.

How do I add a “CONFIDENTIAL” or “DRAFT” watermark?+

Open the PDF, keep Text selected and type CONFIDENTIAL (or DRAFT, COPY, SAMPLE). The default is large, bold, red, 25% opacity and turned 45° across the center of the page. Choose Tiled to repeat it across the whole page instead, then download.

Can I use my logo as a watermark?+

Yes. Choose Image and pick a PNG or JPG. Set its width as a share of the page, the opacity and the angle, and place it in the center, a corner, or tiled. A PNG with a transparent background looks best.

What does “behind the page content” do?+

The watermark is drawn first and the page's own text and pictures are drawn over it, so it doesn't cover the words. If a page has a solid white background — scanned pages almost always do — that background hides a watermark behind it, so leave the option off for scans.

Can I watermark only some pages?+

Yes. In Pages, type ranges such as 1-3, 5 or 2- (page 2 to the end). Other pages are left exactly as they were.

Can someone remove the watermark?+

A watermark marks a document; it doesn't lock it. It's added as separate text or an image on top of (or behind) the page, so someone with a PDF editor could delete it. To stop changes, also password-protect the PDF with Protect PDF.

Will my PDF look different apart from the watermark?+

No. The original pages are kept as they are — text stays selectable and nothing is turned into an image. Rotated pages and pages with unusual page boxes are handled, so the watermark sits where the preview shows it.

Can I watermark several PDFs at once?+

No — one PDF at a time. Your watermark settings stay as they are when you close a file and open the next (until you reload the page), so a small batch goes quickly.

Can I write a watermark in Greek, Cyrillic, Chinese or Arabic?+

Not as text: text watermarks use the standard Helvetica font, which covers English and Western European letters, and other characters would show as “?” (the tool warns you). Make a picture of the text instead — a PNG with a transparent background — and use it as an Image watermark.

How do I make a watermark lighter or less distracting?+

Lower the opacity — anywhere from 5% to 100% (25% for text and 40% for images by default) — and pick a pale color. Smaller text or a corner position helps too. Rotation goes from −90° to 90°; 0° keeps it level.

How is a tiled watermark spaced?+

Copies are laid out in rows along the watermark's own angle, 80 pt (about 1.1 inches) apart by default — change “Space between copies” to spread them out or pack them in. At most 400 copies go on one page; if more would fit, the spacing grows.