Watermark a PDF with Text or Branding

Q: Why can't I see my watermark?

With Behind content (watermark), opaque content such as a scanned page hides the mark, so switch to Over content (stamp). A pale color at Opacity 0.1 can be almost invisible on screen. Text marks support the Western European alphabet; for Greek, Cyrillic or Chinese text, use an image of the text with Image watermark.

Q: Part of the watermark is cut off at the page edge. Why?

Every position except Center places the mark right against the page edge, and a tilt swings part of it past that edge. With the default Rotation of -35, corner and edge marks lose a piece. Set Rotation to 0 for headers, footers and corners, or keep diagonal marks in the center.

Q: How do I add page numbers or a recipient's name to each page?

Use the page codes in Watermark text: Copy for J. Smith - page %p of %P prints "Copy for J. Smith - page 3 of 12" on page 3 of a 12-page file. Set Position to Bottom center and Rotation to 0 for a footer. For the next recipient, change the name and click Apply watermark again; each run starts from the unmarked original.

No PDF selectedAdd a text watermark or stamp to your PDF in seconds.

Watermark designerPDFs are shared across all tools.

Stamp or watermark: what this tool adds to your PDF

Add a text, image or PDF watermark to selected pages. Choose whether it sits above or behind the page content, then adjust position, opacity, scale and rotation. Use a light background mark for a draft or a clear foreground stamp for a label. Check readability in the exported PDF so the watermark does not obscure the document.

Cost: Free to use. File size and usage limits apply.

How to watermark a PDF

Add one PDF
Click Choose PDF or drop a PDF of up to 200 MB on the preview. You can also pick a file from Uploads, including results from other PDF tools.
Choose what to put on the pages
Under Watermark type, pick Text watermark, Image watermark or PDF stamp. For text, replace the default CONFIDENTIAL in Watermark text. For the other two, click Upload watermark asset and wait until "Asset selected" shows your file name. Changing the type clears the asset.
Place and style the mark
Set position, layer, opacity and rotation as described below. To mark only some pages, list them in Pages to apply (optional).
Apply and check
Click Apply watermark. The result opens in the preview. Page through it and check that the mark sits fully on the page and hides nothing important.
Adjust or download
To try other settings, change them and click Apply watermark again. Each run starts from the file in the Source PDF card, so marks do not pile up. Then click Download watermarked PDF; the result also stays in Uploads.

Text, image or PDF stamp?

Text watermark

For labels such as DRAFT, CONFIDENTIAL or a recipient's name. The text is set in Helvetica and remains PDF text rather than a picture of the letters. Its contribution to file size depends on the text and the document structure.

Image watermark

For a logo or a scanned signature in JPG, PNG, WebP or TIFF. PNG transparency is kept, so the page shows through around a logo on a transparent background.

PDF stamp

For a seal or a PAID stamp exported as PDF. Vector artwork remains vector artwork; images in the stamp keep their own resolution. The whole stamp page is placed, including any background it fills, so export it without a white background if the document should show through.

Every setting explained

The fields depend on Watermark type: Watermark text, Font size and Color are for text only, Scale is for images and PDF stamps, and PDF stamp page only for PDF stamps.

Watermark text: Type %p for the current page number and %P for the total page count; any other text, including a percent sign as in 100% draft, prints as typed. Type \n to start a new line. Text marks support the Western European alphabet. For letters such as ł, ě or ş, or for Greek, Cyrillic or Chinese text, save the text as a PNG and use Image watermark.
Pages to apply (optional): Leave it empty to mark every page, or enter pages and ranges separated by commas, such as 1 for the cover only or 2-12,15. The numbers are positions in the file, not printed page numbers. A page past the end is rejected with a message such as "This PDF has 12 pages. Page 14 is not available."
Position: Nine anchor points from Top left to Bottom right; Center is the default. Marks at an edge sit flush against it without a margin. Positions follow the page as it is displayed, so fix sideways pages first with Rotate PDF.
Layer: Over content (stamp), the default, draws the mark on top of everything. Behind content (watermark) draws it underneath, which keeps text fully legible, but anything opaque hides it. A scanned page is one large image, so a mark behind it is invisible.
Opacity: From 0.1 (10 %) to 1 (fully opaque) in steps of 0.05. At the default 0.35, black text looks mid-grey. As a rule of thumb, 0.2 to 0.35 keeps a text page readable, while 1 suits a solid label or a logo that must keep its exact colors.
Rotation: Degrees from -180 to 180, default -35. Negative values tilt clockwise, so the default runs from upper left to lower right; positive values rise to the right, and 0 keeps the mark horizontal. An empty field counts as 0.
Font size: A slider from 10 to 120 pt in steps of 2 pt, starting at 48 pt, that sets the letter size of the text mark. Around 60 to 120 pt suits a diagonal DRAFT across the page, while 10 to 14 pt fits a footer line or a recipient's name.
Color: Any color, default black (#000000). It is combined with Opacity, so pure red at 0.35 prints as a pale red.
Scale: From 0.1 to 2 in steps of 0.05, default 0.5. The size is relative to each page: at 0.5 a wide logo spans half the page width and a tall graphic half the page height. At 1 the mark fills the full width or height; smaller values such as 0.2 suit a logo in a corner.
PDF stamp page: Default 1: the page of your stamp PDF that is placed on every selected page. A number beyond the stamp PDF's last page makes the job fail. If you clear the field, the stamp PDF is applied page by page: its page 1 goes on page 1, its page 2 on page 2, and its last page repeats on the rest.

What changes in the file

Your pages are not re-rendered or recompressed. The mark is added as a separate object on each selected page, so text, images and page sizes stay as they were. A text mark is real text: search finds it, and it can turn up when someone copies text from the page.

An image or PDF stamp is embedded and reused on the pages. The final file size depends on the source document, the asset and how their data is stored; compare the actual result. Images keep their full resolution. For a logo spanning half the width of an A4 page (105 mm), about 1,240 px corresponds to 300 dpi and 620 px to 150 dpi. Prepare the asset for its intended size rather than adding pixels you will not use.

Title and author in the document properties are kept. The creation and modification dates are set to the time of processing.

Formats and limits

Input format: PDF, one file per job
Watermark asset: JPG, PNG, WebP or TIFF image, or a PDF. GIF, BMP, HEIC and SVG images are rejected.
Output format: One PDF with the same pages, page sizes and order
Maximum file size: 200 MB each for the PDF and the asset
Password-protected PDFs: PDFs that ask for a password when opened cannot be processed; remove it first with Unlock PDF. PDFs that only restrict printing or editing work and keep those restrictions.
Processing: On our servers with the pdfcpu PDF library. A job can run for up to 15 minutes.
Our branding: None. Only the mark you configure is added.
Storage: Uploads and results are deleted automatically after 48 hours for guests and after 30 days for free accounts. Paid plans can keep files longer.

Frequently asked questions

Why can't I see my watermark?

With Behind content (watermark), opaque content such as a scanned page hides the mark, so switch to Over content (stamp). A pale color at Opacity 0.1 can be almost invisible on screen. Text marks support the Western European alphabet; for Greek, Cyrillic or Chinese text, use an image of the text with Image watermark.

Part of the watermark is cut off at the page edge. Why?

Every position except Center places the mark right against the page edge, and a tilt swings part of it past that edge. With the default Rotation of -35, corner and edge marks lose a piece. Set Rotation to 0 for headers, footers and corners, or keep diagonal marks in the center.

How do I add page numbers or a recipient's name to each page?

Use the page codes in Watermark text: Copy for J. Smith - page %p of %P prints "Copy for J. Smith - page 3 of 12" on page 3 of a 12-page file. Set Position to Bottom center and Rotation to 0 for a footer. For the next recipient, change the name and click Apply watermark again; each run starts from the unmarked original.

Can someone remove the watermark?

Yes. The mark is a separate object that PDF editors can select and delete, and a text mark can be copied like other text. Protect PDF can restrict editing, but only reader software that respects permissions enforces them. To fuse the mark with the page, convert the pages with PDF to Images and back with Image to PDF. Text is then no longer selectable; sharpness and file size depend on the resolution, image format and page content.