How to add a watermark to a PDF
- Choose your PDF, or drag it onto the box.
- Type your watermark, such as DRAFT, CONFIDENTIAL, COPY or SAMPLE.
- Pick the direction, size, colour and strength. Leave "Pages" empty to mark every page.
- Press "Add watermark" and download the new PDF.
How it works
The text is written onto each page in bold Helvetica, see-through at the strength you pick, and placed in the middle of the page. Its size is set from the page: Small, Medium and Large span 35%, 50% and 70% of the page's width (or of the corner-to-corner line for diagonal text), up to a limit so short words don't become huge.
"Over the page" puts the watermark on top of everything. "Behind the text" puts it underneath, so it doesn't cover any words. Scanned pages are one big picture, so a watermark behind them is hidden; use "Over the page" for scans. Your file never leaves your device.
Example
DRAFT, straight across a US Letter page (612 × 792 points), Medium size. In bold Helvetica, the word DRAFT is 3.388 times as wide as its font size.
The last line lowers the baseline by half the height of the capital letters, so the word sits in the middle of the page.
Frequently asked questions
Can someone remove the watermark?
It becomes part of the page, but someone with PDF editing software could still remove it. Treat a watermark as a clear label ("this is a draft"), not as security.
Which characters can I use?
Letters A to Z (including accented letters like é and ü), numbers and common symbols such as £, € and &. Some other alphabets and emoji can't be used with this font.
Can I watermark only some pages?
Yes. Type the page numbers in the Pages box, such as 1 or 2-5. Leave it empty to mark every page.
Does it work on landscape or sideways pages?
Yes. Each page is measured the way you read it, so the watermark always sits in the middle and the right way up.