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Add a watermark to a PDF

Stamp text such as DRAFT or CONFIDENTIAL on every page of a PDF, diagonally or straight across the centre, with real transparency so the page underneath stays readable.

Choose files

Tap to pick files from your device

Free plan: 1 file per job. Each file up to 20,000,000 bytes and 50 pages. All selected files together up to 100,000,000 bytes. Encrypted and digitally signed PDFs are not accepted.

This operation runs in your browser. Your files are not uploaded for processing.

Result

The result appears here after you run the tool.

How to add a watermark to a PDF

  1. 1

    Select or drop a PDF file.

  2. 2

    Type the watermark text.

  3. 3

    Choose the size, colour, opacity and direction.

  4. 4

    Add the watermark and download the PDF.

What this tool does

  • Diagonal or horizontal, centred on every page
  • True transparency, not a lighter colour
  • Shrinks to fit on small pages instead of being cut off
  • Original page content untouched underneath
  • Reads the file signature instead of trusting the file extension.
  • Copies real pages. Nothing is rasterized and no page is re-rendered.
  • Refuses encrypted PDFs instead of working around the protection.
  • Refuses digitally signed PDFs, because saving them again would break the signature.
  • Reports the measured size of the file your browser produced.

Questions about Add watermark to PDF

Which characters can I use?
Latin letters, digits and common punctuation, including accented letters such as é and ü. The watermark uses a standard PDF font that does not cover other scripts, so Korean, Chinese, Japanese or Arabic text is refused with a message rather than printed as empty boxes.
Can the watermark be removed?
It is added as a separate drawing on top of each page, which deters casual copying but is not protection. Someone with a PDF editor can remove it. To stop people opening the file, use Protect PDF.
Are my files uploaded to a server?
No. This tool runs inside your browser tab, so the file bytes are read and written on your own device and are never sent to us for processing. Closing the tab discards everything, which is also why results cannot be restored after a reload.
Do I need an account?
No. The free tools work without signing in. There is no account system yet, so nothing is stored between visits.

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