How to add a watermark to a PDF
A watermark marks a document as confidential, a draft or a copy and makes unauthorised use harder. You can add your own text, such as “CONFIDENTIAL” or “COPY”, or a company logo as a semi-transparent image on the PDF pages.
- Load the PDF
Drop the document in the box above.
- Choose the type
Text or image – a logo works best as a PNG with a transparent background.
- Adjust the look
Set the size, colour, transparency, rotation and position, and whether the mark should repeat across the whole page.
- Download the PDF
The preview shows the effect on the first page of the range.
Popular uses
- marking a contract as DRAFT before signing
- COPY on a scan of an ID card sent to a company
- an agency logo on an offer or portfolio
- CONFIDENTIAL on internal documents
A scan of an ID document
When you send a scan of your ID, add to the watermark who it is for and why, e.g. “Copy for Company X – verification, 2026”. That makes it harder to misuse the scan for anything else.
Frequently asked questions
Can a watermark be removed easily?
The mark is added as part of the page content, so it won’t disappear when the file is simply opened. For highly confidential documents, protect the PDF with a password too.
Can I add the mark to selected pages only?
Yes, set the range with the “From page” and “To page” fields.
Will the watermark hide the text?
With suitable transparency the text under the mark stays readable.