How to watermark a PDF
- 1Choose the PDF, or drop it anywhere on this page.
- 2Type the words, set how strong they are, and choose diagonal or straight.
- 3Check the pages and download the watermarked document.
Nothing to install
It runs in the browser you already have, on a phone or a computer. There is no account to make first.
Deleted a day later
Your file is removed from our servers 24 hours after you last touch it, or sooner if you ask.
No watermark
What you download is your document and nothing else, on every plan.
A clear mark on every page
A watermark tells anyone reading the document what it is (a draft, a copy, confidential, not for distribution) without hiding what is on the page. The words are set in a light grey across the middle of every page, either corner to corner or straight across, at the strength you pick.
Choosing a strength
- 10 to 20% is visible but easy to read through. Right for DRAFT or COPY.
- 30 to 40% is hard to miss. Right for CONFIDENTIAL or SAMPLE.
- Above 50% starts to get in the way of reading.
Good for
- Drafts sent round for comment, so an early version is never mistaken for the final one.
- Sample documents and proofs sent to clients before payment.
- Copies of identity documents, marked with what they are for, such as "Copy for the letting agent, September 2026".
What a watermark will not do
A watermark discourages misuse; it does not prevent it. Anyone with a PDF editor can remove one. If the document must not be opened by the wrong person, protect it with a password. If something in it must not be read at all, redact it.
Questions
- Can I use my own words?
- Yes, up to 60 characters. Short words in capitals read best.
- Will it cover the text?
- It is drawn in a light grey at the strength you choose, so the page stays readable underneath.
- Can someone remove it?
- A watermark discourages copying but anyone with a PDF editor can take one off. It is not a security measure; for that, protect the file with a password.
- Can I undo it?
- Yes, before you download.