How to Add a Watermark to a PDF (Text, Position & Opacity Tips)

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A watermark is a fast way to signal that a document is a draft, confidential, or belongs to you — without redesigning the file. Here's how to stamp one across every page of a PDF online.

Common reasons to add a watermark

• Marking a contract or proposal as DRAFT before it's final
• Adding CONFIDENTIAL across internal documents
• Stamping a company name or copyright notice across shared work
• Discouraging unauthorized redistribution of a document you're sharing for review

How to add a watermark to a PDF, step by step

1. Open the add watermark tool.
2. Upload the PDF you want to stamp.
3. Type the watermark text.
4. Adjust size, opacity, rotation, and color until it looks right on the preview.
5. Apply it across every page and download the watermarked PDF.

Tips for a watermark that doesn't ruin readability

• Lower the opacity (usually 10–25%) so the watermark is visible without obscuring the text underneath.
• Diagonal rotation (around 45°) is the most common choice — it reads clearly without competing with normal horizontal text.
• Keep the text short. A single word or short phrase ("DRAFT", "CONFIDENTIAL", a company name) works better than a long sentence repeated across the page.

Common questions

Can I remove a watermark later? This tool is for adding a watermark, not removing one added elsewhere. If you need to send an unmarked version, keep the original file and only watermark a copy.

Does the watermark apply to every page automatically? Yes — once applied, it's stamped consistently across the whole document.

Can I use an image or logo instead of text? This guide covers the text watermark workflow; for logo placement, use the edit PDF tool to insert an image directly onto the pages you need.

Ready to mark up your document? Add a watermark for free →