In short: Watermarking a PDF draws semi-transparent text — such as CONFIDENTIAL, DRAFT or a recipient’s name — across each page to mark its status or discourage sharing.
About Watermark PDF
A watermark tells every reader at a glance that a document is a draft, confidential, a sample, or a copy issued to a particular person. This tool draws your text in the center of each page at the opacity, size and angle you choose, using the standard Helvetica Bold font.
The watermark is added as page content, not as an annotation, so it prints and appears in every PDF viewer. It is not a security feature: someone with PDF editing software can still remove or cover it.
How to use Watermark PDF
- Choose a PDF.
- Type the watermark text and set color, opacity, size and angle.
- Optionally limit it to certain pages, then press Add watermark.
Examples
DRAFT at 20% opacity diagonally across every page keeps the text readable while making the status obvious.
Watermark Prepared for Acme Ltd horizontally on a proposal to discourage forwarding.
Frequently asked questions
Which characters are supported?
The built-in PDF font supports Western European characters (Latin-1). Text in other scripts, such as Chinese or Cyrillic, is not supported in this version.
Can I use an image or logo as a watermark?
Not yet; this tool adds text watermarks.
Can the watermark be removed?
By someone with a PDF editor, yes. Watermarks deter casual sharing; they do not lock a document.
Is my file uploaded?
No. Processing happens in your browser. You can check this yourself: open your browser’s developer tools, switch to the Network tab and use the tool — no request carries your input.
Updated November 2026 · Free, no signup · How we build and test tools