Drop a PDF into the upload box. Then choose a text or image watermark and watch it appear live on the page.
A watermark is a mark placed on a document to say something about it — usually without interfering with the content underneath. Common examples include a large diagonal "DRAFT" printed across every page, a company logo tucked in the bottom corner, or a red "CONFIDENTIAL" stamp repeated in a grid.
Watermarks have been used on paper documents for centuries. The digital version works the same way: you overlay text or an image on the page, set how transparent it should be, and the reader sees the document with the mark on top.
Unlike password protection or redaction, a watermark doesn't hide or lock anything. It adds a visible label. It's a way of saying something to every reader — "this is a draft," "this belongs to me," "you're viewing a sample."
This tool supports both. Here's when to use each.
| Type | Best for | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Text watermark | Status labels, warnings, ownership notes | DRAFT · CONFIDENTIAL · SAMPLE · FOR REVIEW · © 2026 Your Name · DO NOT COPY |
| Image watermark | Brand marks, logos, seals | Company logo · Registered trademark · Signature stamp · Custom seal graphic |
Text is faster and simpler — no image to prepare, easy to change, and it scales cleanly. Image watermarks look more polished for branding but require a good source image. PNG with a transparent background is the best format for logos.
One watermark placed at the center of each page. Best for a clean brand mark or a signature-style label. Often uses a large font size and low opacity so it doesn't dominate the page.
The same watermark repeated in a grid across the entire page. Classic "DRAFT" or "CONFIDENTIAL" look. You control how many columns and rows the grid has — 3×5 is a common choice for A4 pages. The grid is drawn at an angle (default 45°) so the marks flow diagonally.
Tiled watermarks are much harder to remove by cropping, and they make it obvious at a glance that the document isn't a final release. This is what you want for drafts shared with clients, unreleased documents, or anything with a "SAMPLE" label.
A small watermark placed in one of the four corners. Best for a subtle ownership mark, a logo, or a compact label like "Internal Use Only." You choose which corner: top-left, top-right, bottom-left, or bottom-right.
1-3, 5, 8-12.Opacity is the single most important setting. Too dark and the watermark obscures your content. Too faint and it looks accidental. Here are some common ranges:
| Use case | Opacity | Why |
|---|---|---|
| DRAFT / SAMPLE | 25–40% | Visible enough to notice, light enough to read through |
| CONFIDENTIAL | 20–30% | Firm but not aggressive — a reminder |
| Logo (corner) | 50–70% | Logos look intentional at higher opacity |
| Copyright / ownership | 15–25% | Subtle but legible — doesn't fight the content |
| Anti-copy / anti-crop | 30–45% | Dense tiled pattern that's hard to remove by cropping |
The default rotation for watermarks is 45° (diagonal from bottom-left to top-right) or -45° (the opposite direction). Diagonal rotation is standard for two reasons:
That said, rotation is entirely up to you. Corner watermarks often work best at 0°, and horizontal center watermarks look fine when you want them to read exactly like a page element. Use the rotation slider to see what works for your document.
Most online PDF watermark tools ask you to upload your file to their server. That's fine for a public brochure. For a contract under NDA, an unreleased report, or a client's paid deliverable, handing the file to a stranger's computer is a serious risk.
This tool works differently. Everything runs inside your browser. The PDF is opened directly from your device's storage, the watermark is drawn in memory, and the watermarked output is written back out. No upload, no server, nothing to leak.
Use the opacity slider. For most documents, 25–40% works well — enough to notice, light enough to read through. If it's too dark, slide down; too faint, slide up. The live preview updates as you drag.
Two options: reduce opacity, or switch to a corner layout so the mark sits in the margin instead of the middle. Corner watermarks rarely interfere with anything important.
You uploaded a JPG. JPG doesn't support transparency, so the white background is baked in. Use a PNG with a transparent background instead — most design tools (Figma, Canva, Photopea, GIMP) export transparent PNGs easily.
Landscape pages are wider than tall, so a font size tuned to portrait may look small. Increase the font size, or use tiled layout with more columns to cover the width. For image watermarks, increase the scale percentage.
Check the "Apply to" setting. If you picked Custom range, only pages in that range get watermarked. Set it back to "All pages" to cover the entire document.
Image watermarks with high-resolution logos can bloat the file. Compress the source logo (300 DPI is plenty; 3000 DPI is overkill) or use a text watermark instead. You can also run the watermarked PDF through our Compress PDF tool afterward.
No. The watermark is drawn into the page content — it's permanent. Always keep the original unwatermarked PDF somewhere safe. If you need different watermarks for different recipients, watermark separate copies from the clean original.
| Task | Tool | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Label a document as DRAFT or CONFIDENTIAL | Add Watermark PDF | Overlays text or an image on top of the pages |
| Brand a document with your logo | Add Watermark PDF | Places a corner or tiled logo on every page |
| Add a signature for approval | Sign PDF | Places a drawn or uploaded signature on a specific spot |
| Hide sensitive text before sharing | Redact PDF | Permanently blacks out content you don't want seen |
| Shrink a watermarked file | Compress PDF | Reduces file size after watermarking |
Yes. Here's exactly what happens when you use this tool:
At no point does the file or the watermark leave your device. No data is sent to SkillsInsider's servers. No tracking cookies watch your watermarking. You can prove it yourself: turn off Wi-Fi after the page loads, then watermark a PDF. It still works perfectly.
Yes — completely free. No sign-up, no watermark of our own on the output, no page limits, no per-file fee.
No. Everything runs locally in your browser using pdf-lib and PDF.js. Your file never leaves your device.
Yes. Switch to Image mode and upload a PNG, JPG, or WebP. PNG with a transparent background works best for logos — it avoids the white box that JPGs create.
Single places one watermark at a chosen position — usually center. Tiled repeats a diagonal grid across the whole page. Tiled is the classic DRAFT or CONFIDENTIAL look; single is a clean centered brand mark or label.
Yes. Choose "All pages" or switch to "Custom range" and enter something like 1-3, 5, 8-12. Only the pages in that range will be watermarked.
No. The original pages are copied byte-for-byte. Only the watermark is added on top — text stays sharp, images keep their original resolution, and hyperlinks stay clickable.
Not with this tool. The watermark is drawn into the page content stream — it's permanent. To get an unwatermarked version, use the original PDF before watermarking. Always keep a clean source copy.
Once the page has fully loaded, yes. Turn off Wi-Fi and it still watermarks — all processing happens locally on your device.