To add a watermark to a PDF, select Select PDF Files, type your text in Watermark Text (CONFIDENTIAL is filled in) or switch to Image Watermark and pick a logo. Adjust Opacity, Rotation and Position while watching the page previews, then select Save Watermarked PDF. Your pages are copied unchanged and the watermark is drawn on top, all in your browser.
How to add a watermark to a PDF
- Load the PDF. Select Select PDF Files or drag files onto the drop area. Every page shows as a preview card.
- Choose text or image. Keep Text Watermark and edit the text, color and font size, or select Image Watermark and choose a PNG, JPG or WebP.
- Style and place it. Set Opacity, Rotation and Scale, pick a Position, and choose Single Watermark or Tile Across Page under Layout Mode.
- Pick pages and save. Under Apply To Pages choose which pages to mark, then select Save Watermarked PDF. Open the downloaded file to check it.
How to add a CONFIDENTIAL watermark to a PDF
The text watermark starts out ready for this job: CONFIDENTIAL in bold slate gray, 42 points, 24% opacity, angled at 35 degrees in the center of every page. Load the PDF and save, or change the word to DRAFT, COPY or SAMPLE first.
A single centered watermark is easy to read around. Choose Tile Across Page under Layout Mode if you want the text repeated in a grid that covers the whole page, which makes cropping it out of a screenshot much harder. Lower the opacity to 15-20% when tiling so the document text underneath stays readable.
To mark only part of a document, set Apply To Pages to First Page Only, Last Page Only, Odd Pages, Even Pages or Custom Range (for example 1-3,7). Each preview card is tagged Watermarked or Skipped.
PDF watermark settings
| Setting | Range | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Font Size (text) | 8 to 120 points | 42 |
| Opacity | 5% to 100% | 24% |
| Rotation | -180 to 180 degrees | -35 |
| Scale | 10% to 200% | 100% |
| Position | Center, the four corners or the middle of any edge | Center |
| Offset X / Offset Y | Any number of points; positive values move right and up | 0 |
Offsets nudge a single watermark away from its position; 72 points equal one inch. Text is drawn in Helvetica Bold, which covers English and Western European letters. Text in scripts such as Cyrillic, Arabic or Chinese can't be drawn and stops the save with an error, so use an image watermark for those.
The previews are drawn at the same scale, angle and position as the saved file, including on pages a scanner stored sideways, so each card shows what you'll get.
Use your logo as an image watermark
Switch to Image Watermark and choose your logo or a signature stamp. A PNG or WebP with a transparent background works best; a JPG always brings its white or colored box with it. At 100% scale the image is drawn up to 42% of the page width (or its own size if it's smaller), and Scale lets you go from 10% to 200% of that.
The same Opacity, Rotation, Position and Tile options apply. For a light logo in a corner, try Bottom Right, Rotation 0, Scale 50% and Opacity 30%. If your logo needs resizing or a different format first, the image resizer can help.
Can a PDF watermark be removed?
Yes, by someone with a PDF editor. The watermark is added as its own text or image object on top of each page; it isn't merged into the page. A text watermark is also real text, so it shows up when someone selects or searches the page. Set Draw Order to Behind Page Content and it's drawn underneath, so text and drawings sit on top of it. A scan or a page with a filled background then hides it completely, so keep On Top of PDF for those.
To make it harder to remove, run the watermarked file through the PDF compressor, which turns every page into a single image. The trade-off is that the document text can no longer be selected. To stop people opening the file at all, add a password with the PDF password protector.
Frequently asked questions
How do I watermark a PDF for free?
Load the PDF here, enter your watermark text or choose a logo, and select Save Watermarked PDF. It's free, needs no account and adds no ToolzyLab branding.
Can I add a watermark to only some pages?
Yes. Set Apply To Pages to First Page Only, Last Page Only, Odd Pages, Even Pages or Custom Range, and type pages like 2-5 for a custom range.
How do I make a watermark see-through?
Lower the Opacity slider. The default is 24%; 15-30% keeps the document readable while the watermark stays visible.
Can I watermark several PDFs at once?
You can load several PDFs, but they're combined into one watermarked file. To get separate files, watermark each PDF on its own.
Does adding a watermark reduce PDF quality?
No. Your pages are copied unchanged and the watermark is added on top, so text stays sharp and selectable.
Are my files uploaded?
No. The PDF and your logo are processed in your browser and never leave your device.