Last updated: October 2026
How to add a watermark to a PDF
Short answer: drop your PDF above, set the watermark text or logo plus opacity, rotation and position, and click Apply watermark. A preview of the first page shows the stamp before you download.
- Choose the PDF you want to watermark — it stays in your browser and is never uploaded.
- Type the watermark text (for example CONFIDENTIAL) or choose a PNG/JPG logo image.
- Set the font size, opacity, rotation and position — center, tiled across the page, or all four corners.
- Click “Apply watermark” and download the stamped PDF.
Why watermark a PDF?
Mark drafts and confidential files — a diagonal CONFIDENTIAL or DRAFT stamp makes a document's status obvious at a glance. Protect your work — a tiled, low-opacity watermark across every page discourages copying and screenshots. Brand shared files — stamp your logo on reports and proposals before sending them out. And because this tool never uploads your file, it's safe for contracts and unreleased work. Need to edit the document itself first? Use our PDF editor — then stamp the final copy here.
Frequently asked questions
Is my PDF uploaded anywhere?
No. The entire watermarking runs in your browser with JavaScript — your PDF never leaves your device, which makes this safe for sensitive documents.
Will the watermark be on every page?
By default, yes. You can also pick a page range — for example, watermark only pages 2–5 — and leave the cover page clean.
Can I use my logo as a watermark?
Yes. Choose a PNG or JPG logo and it is drawn with the same opacity, rotation and position settings as a text watermark. PNGs with transparency work best.
What opacity should I use?
Around 20–40% is the usual range: visible enough to read, light enough that the document stays readable. For a strong anti-copy stamp, use tiled placement at 30–50%.
Can the watermark be removed later?
A watermark drawn into the PDF is part of the page content, so it can't be toggled off like a viewer annotation. Always keep your original unwatermarked file and save the stamped copy separately.
Does watermarking change the file size much?
Barely — a text watermark adds only a few kilobytes. An image watermark adds roughly the size of the logo file, once per stamped page.
What if my PDF is password-protected?
Password-protected PDFs can't be processed in the browser. Remove the password first (if you own the file), then watermark it here.
Can I watermark a scanned PDF?
Yes. The stamp is drawn on top of the scanned page image, so it works on scans exactly like on text-based PDFs.