How to add a watermark to a PDF
- 1
Click Choose files or drag one or more PDFs into the box above.
- 2
Type your Watermark text — for example CONFIDENTIAL, DRAFT or your company name.
- 3
Set the Opacity and choose a Layout — Diagonal, centered or Tiled.
- 4
Click Convert. The watermarked PDF downloads automatically; several files can be saved with Download all (ZIP).
What a watermark is for
A watermark tells anyone who sees the document what its status is and who it belongs to. Common uses:
- CONFIDENTIAL / INTERNAL — board papers, HR documents, financial reports.
- DRAFT — versions sent for review, so nobody mistakes them for the final.
- SAMPLE / COPY / VOID — documents shared for reference only.
- “For [name] – [date]” — the ID card or payslip you send to a landlord or agency. Writing who it is for and why makes a leaked copy much less useful to anyone else.
Diagonal vs. tiled
| Layout | Looks like | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Diagonal, centered | One large text across the page | Status stamps: DRAFT, CONFIDENTIAL |
| Tiled | Text repeated across the whole page | Identity documents, photos, previews you don’t want reused |
Tips
- Keep it short. One to three words read best diagonally; longer sentences work better tiled.
- Watermark copies, not originals. Keep a clean version for yourself and send the watermarked one.
- Add page numbers too with Add page numbers for formal documents.
- Lock it down. For sensitive files, apply the watermark first and then password-protect the PDF.
Because the watermark is added in your browser, documents such as passports, contracts or unreleased work are never uploaded to a third-party server.
Watermark your ID before sending it
Landlords, agencies and online services often ask for a copy of your passport, ID card or payslip. A tiled watermark such as “Rental application – Agency X – Oct 2026” across the whole page keeps the document readable for its purpose while making a stolen copy far less useful for anything else. Pair it with a moderate opacity (20–30%) so the photo and numbers remain legible.
Common problems and fixes
The watermark hides the text. Lower the opacity to 15–20%. Black text stays readable underneath a light watermark.
The watermark is barely visible. Raise the opacity, or use the tiled layout so the text covers more of the page.
My long text is cut or too small. A single diagonal line has limited space. Shorten the text, or switch to tiled, which repeats a shorter phrase across the page.
I need a logo instead of text. Image watermarks aren’t supported. A text watermark with your company name is usually enough to mark ownership.
I want to remove a watermark. If you added it here, simply use your original, un-watermarked file — it was never modified.